My Life
by GeorgieMarie95
Summary: Snippets of life from Rosalie's perspective as she grows. OOC AH AU RXE RXEm BXE AXJ
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is another repost : ) Again, not the best writing in the world, but this one's definitely better than Concrete Angel and most certainly longer! This was originally intended as a multi-chapter fanfic, but I've decided to make it only four chapters long. **

**Here is the first bit : )**

The minute I moved there I felt at home. I felt like everything was finally falling into place. Even though I was a nervous wreck on my first day of school, I felt at peace the moment I stepped through the doors, like it was where I belonged.

My name is Rosalie Lillian Swan and I moved to Forks 18 years ago when I was 8 years old. We lived in a small apartment for the first two months and then moved to a larger house. On the first day of my new school, I left the apartment, nerves rumbling in my stomach and my hands clutching my school bag tightly, and here is where my story begins...

"Mum, why did we have to move again?" I looked up at my mother, and she smiled down at me before opening her mouth to speak. Alice spoke from the back seat of the large Vauxhall, asking where we were going. I shook my head in exasperation; 'typical Alice, always interrupting' I thought, seething as I crossed my arms and faced the road again.

"We are going to your new school, love, Forks Elementary School, doesn't it sound nice?" Mum smiled sweetly at Alice and I glared at the pavement outside the window, hardly noticing the feet that flew past, or the little spots of chewing gum that you could just see dotting the street. "Now what did you say honey?" I shook my head as the colours merged together through the hazy film of tears. My hand gripped my school bag more tightly as I tried to will the tears away.

"Mummy, Rosie asked why we moved, she asked her question first, so why did you answer Alice's before?" Bella spoke up from beside Alice and I turned to look at her, smiling. Bella was always so sweet, I'm still waiting for the day when she would turn around and tell me to go away when I said 'good morning' to her. But she never has.

"Sweetheart, I was just answering questions, I didn't mean anything by answering Alice before Rose," My mother sighed, she truly hated dealing with things like this, having to justify her actions, she did it enough with her parents.

"It's OK mum, I know you didn't mean anything," My mum looked at me and smiled gratefully, happy to leave the subject. That was always my job, changing the subject, making sure no-one was harmed or upset, and I did it well, always hiding what I truly felt, never making sure somebody knew what I was feeling, although my Grandma always did, she always knew when something was wrong with me.

We pulled up outside the school and I looked up at it in wonder. The large buildings were old and so very different from the school we had been at in Phoenix. There were pillars flanking the doors at either entrance to the Victorian houses and a path leading to a large garden behind the buildings.

The pavements were all wet, soaked with the rain that fell constantly, as opposed to the dry, dusty slabs of stone that formed the pavement outside the large Elementary school gates. I remember that he high blue poles seemed to stretch into the sky forever, never quite reaching the clouds, but near enough that I could hardly see the points when I stood directly beside them.

I climbed out of the car and Alice ran to mum, gave her a hug and darted inside. Bella climbed out slowly and went to hold mums hand. Mum looked at me tentatively and I smiled back at her half-heartedly. She gave me a hug and whispered into my ear.

"Good luck, baby, have fun." I felt the emotions tugging at my stomach again, as tears pricked the corners of my vision. I smiled despite the sickly feeling that was increasing by the second. I saw my mum's eyes turning slightly red and decided to hurry into the school.

"Bye mummy." She smiled again and I walked towards the front door. After about two paces I heard little feet running towards me and suddenly, my legs were clasped by the arms of my little sister. I looked down and smiled. She looked up at me with watery eyes and smiled at me too.

"Don't cry Rosie. Please?" I laughed a little and the sick feeling eased slightly, Bella had always had a knack for stuff like that. I patted her head and hugged her back.

"OK, Bells, I'll see you at the end of school. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with the rest of your class." She nodded into my skirt and I rubbed her back a little. "OK, Bella, I have to go into school now, I love you, see you later." She let go and ran back to mum who was smiling at me. I smiled back quickly and ran off to join Alice in the front room...

Halfway through the year, and I loved that school, I spent every waking moment I was at home wishing I was there, and every sleeping moment dreaming of the next day. I had become friends with the other kids on our block and we had bought a trampoline for the back garden, so everyone was always round playing with us. The person who came around most frequently was Edward Cullen. We were the same age and he spent most of his time talking to me. He had strange coloured hair, almost bronze, and startling green eyes that keep you captivated right from the get go.

One week when he was here, he taught me to do a back drop. He smiled when I got it wrong and encouraged me to do better. It took three days and ten scraped knees for me to get it right, but I did. He was so pleased for me and he hugged me for the first time, and I hugged him back.

I met his mother, Esme, when she came to pick him up later that evening, and I loved her. She had caramel hair, which slightly resembled Edwards, and soft blue eyes that smiled at you all the time.

"Mum, Rose finally did the back drop!" I blushed at the thought of him talking about me at home and ducked my head, shrinking into my mum's side. She wrapped her arm around me protectively and smiled at Edward.

"That's nice honey, but Emmett and Dad are waiting for dinner, and you know what Emmett is like with his food!" Esme spoke softly and ran a hand through Edward's hair. He laughed and grabbed my hand. I squealed as he pulled me out of the house towards his car. It was a huge Range Rover and my jaw dropped when I saw it.

"Emmett, Jazz, come meet Rose, Alice and Bella." Edward yelled towards the car, still holding my hand. Two other boys climbed out of the monster and I blushed, shrinking back slightly. Edward looked back at me and smiled, I smiled too, liking the way that he said my name first.

"Ally, Bells, come out here a second." My sisters came running when I called back for them. They stopped just behind me and Bella grabbed hold of my hand. I looked down at her a smiled again, pulling her beside me.

One of the boys had brown, almost black hair that was cut short on top of his head. He had smile-y blue eyes, like his mum, and pale skin. The other one had blonde hair, almost caramel, that must have come from Esme, and greyish-blue eyes, that twinkled with mischief.

"Rose, this is Emmett, my big brother, he's eleven, so he's at Forks Middle now." I smiled as Emmett waved and pulled me in for a bone crushing hug. I laughed when he released me and I swayed a little, but Edward caught me. I blushed again and pulled my hand from his, wrapping my arm around Bella's shoulder as I pushed her in front of me. "Jasper is a year younger than me, so he's about the same age as Alice, right?" I nodded and Alice looked a little put out that I had answered for her, but she stood up a little straighter when Jasper nodded in her direction. He had his head down and was shuffling his feet a little.

"Umm, so, Emmett, Jasper, this is my little sister Alice, she's the same age as you, and this is my youngest sister Bella, she's only six, she just had her birthday." I blushed some more as Bella beamed and pulled from my grip. She ran towards Emmett who swung her onto his back with ease. She giggled and clung on tightly.

"Emmett! Put Bella down!" Emmett quickly removed Bella from his shoulders as his mum came out of the door. She ran back to me and snuggled under my arm, as Esme began to tell Emmett off for putting a six year old on his head.

"Bye bye Rosie." I blushed at the nickname Edward used for me and smiled, nodding my head as he climbed into the car. Jasper waved and smiled too.

"Bye," His voice sounded like honey and I smiled back, although he was clearly looking at Alice when he spoke.

"See ya. Come on Eddie. Wouldn't want to be late for tea would we?" I laughed at Emmett's words and decided to call Edward, Eddie from now on. I waved and Emmett waved back, smiling cheekily at me. I had a feeling that I would like this family a lot.

By the time I was ten I had finally convinced myself that I was in love with Edward. He was just so perfect, and the way he said my name was just delicious, but I was ten, how could I _love_ him? It just wasn't feasible, so I pushed the feelings out of my head and got on with my life.

I was in fifth grade at this point and thoroughly looking forward to going to Middle School. Emmett would be going into his freshman year at Forks High, so I wouldn't get to see him around school, but I wouldn't be alone because Edward would be there. But right then, I was still in Elementary school, so I had to put up with being around Alice all the time, and helping her out of trouble etc., etc.

On Monday morning I woke up with a sick feeling in my stomach, like something bad was going to happen. I slowly climbed out of bed and pulled on my jeans with a little top and my favourite beige jacket. I pulled on some socks as the nervousness increased, until it was gnawing at the inside of my stomach so painfully that I was actually clutching my arms around myself to hold myself up. I tied my trainers onto my feet and brushed my long blonde hair into a ponytail before trudging down the stairs to eat breakfast.

"Honey! What's wrong?" My mum cried out as she came back into the room, the happy smile dropping from her face and the early morning glow that usually surrounded her faded as she looked at me, her worry evident in her eyes. "Do you need to stay home, baby?" I shook my head, but that was a bad idea. My head started spinning and black spots formed at the corners of my eyes. Suddenly, all the angst and pain I was feeling became too much for me to handle and my eyes rolled into the back of my head, and I collapsed in a dead faint.

I woke up three days later in the hospital. My mum was sitting beside my bed, her head in her hands. I brushed my hand over her hair and her head snapped up to look at me.

"Rosie!" My mum yelled causing dad and three nurses to come running into the room. "Oh, baby, you're awake!" I nodded my head weakly; I was confused and had a pounding headache.

"Yeah, I guess I am."I whispered quietly and my mother proceeded to run to the doors and yell for everyone to come and see me. "Mum! My head really hurts, could you please not yell?" She slapped a hand over her mouth and apologised profusely before coming to sit beside me and hold my hand.

I looked up as the doors flew open and Edward was there, with Emmett, Jasper and Bella following close behind. They came straight over to me and immediately began throwing questions at me. My head was pounding, and my vision was still slightly blurred, so at the time, I couldn't be sure if I was right or not, but I couldn't see Alice.

"Mummy, make them be quiet please." I whispered in the smallest voice, so that nobody but my mum heard me, but she immediately silenced everyone, allowing me to clear my head and focus on the people in front of me.

Esme and Carlisle were standing in the corner talking to my dad, and Jasper and Emmett had Bella with them at the end of my bed. Edward was sitting on my left hand side, while my mother was sitting on my right, but I couldn't see Alice anywhere. I was starting to panic, why wasn't she there? Was she hurt? Was the feeling I had for her?

"Mum? Where's Alice?" Everyone in the room visibly stiffened and I could feel the panic in me rising. "Mum? Is she hurt? Is that why I was ill? Mum? Dad? Edward?" Tears were running down my face now and everyone looked so sympathetic, it was killing me, and I didn't think I could stand it much longer, but then my mum opened her mouth.

"Sweetie, Alice had a party to go to, so she couldn't be here, but that wasn't why you were ill honey, you had appendicitis, no one's hurt baby, don't worry." I sat there, perfectly still, feeling the anger rise up to overflowing point, but I took a deep breath and turned to talk to Edward. I probably should have addressed the issue then, it would have saved an awful lot of arguments over the years had I confronted Alice then, but I didn't have the strength.

The next year, Edward and I stepped out of his mum's car. She gave us both a kiss and pushed us off in the direction of the school. I held back the tears that threatened to erupt and walked towards the school that I was sure I would come to love as much as I loved the Elementary school.

Edward reached out and grabbed hold of my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before we both walked, together, towards the school office to get our schedules.

"Aww, man, we don't have _anything_ together!" Edward exclaimed as he looked over both of our schedules. "Oh, except lunch, we have lunch together, that's something at least." I nodded mutely as we walked back into the main stream of the school hallways and took back my schedule, finding my first class on the map. I made sure he knew where he was going, before I hugged him goodbye and we went our separate ways. Little did I know that our pathways would be separate for a very long time...

Throughout the school year, Edward and I grew further and further apart. He moved into the more popular circles, playing sports, generally being an ass, whereas I became known as a geek. I got good grades on all my work, and I hung out with other smart people, so that immediately wiped out any possibility that I might have a personality of my own. Edward was coming round less and less, Emmett was too busy with school work, and even when Jasper came round - which wasn't often as he was very shy - Alice would monopolise him.

But as Edward became less tangible, the more I felt attracted to him. This posed as a slight problem for me, as he was always hanging around with his jock friends and generally leaving me out of everything. I was hurt by all his rude little remarks, and though none of them were particularly derogatory, I was getting tired of trying to be his friend while he pushed me away.

The final straw was pulled when I was walking through the almost empty hallways during lunch. I turned the corner and saw Edward standing with Mike, Tyler and Eric. They were laughing at something and I was just about to ask them what was so funny when I heard for myself.

"Oh my God dude, how can you not see it, she is, like, all over you, she so wants to go out with you!" Mike spoke loudly, his voice ringing out through the empty halls.

"Yeah, I know right, but why would I ever want to go out with Rosalie Swan? Seriously Mike, grow a brain and get with it man!" My heart broke. Right then, in that hallway, it broke, and I'll be damned if it didn't half hurt. A single, gut-wrenching sob tore itself from my chest as I heard those words. Edward and the other boys turned around at the sound and Mike laughed along with Tyler and Eric. Edward was the worst though. He saw me and guilt flashed across his face for a split second, but it was gone as soon as he started laughing along with them.

"I hate you, Edward Cullen! I hate you with all my heart!" I screamed at him and ran from the school. Sobs wracked my body and tears streamed down my face, flying behind me, my hair whipping against my face as I ran, wishing fiercely that I could escape from the nightmare that had just occurred.

I ran until I reached the woods behind the school and collapsed against a tree trunk. I let the tears fall silently as my shoulders shuddered, dragging on the bark of the tree behind me.

After about twenty minutes of me sitting there, crying, I dragged myself up from the floor. Looking around, I realised that I was lost, hopelessly lost.

I stumbled around a bit until I almost fell out of the woods, but I wasn't in the Middle school car park. I realised with a jolt as I saw Emmett walking out of the school with some of his friends that I was in the High school car park.

"Rose?" Emmett yelled when he caught sight of me. I shook my head and turned to walk back into the woods. "Hang on here a minute guys, I'll be right back." His voice was faint as I stepped between two trees of the small wood. "Rose? Rosie, what are you doing here?" I shook my head again and he wrapped his arms around me.

At 15, Emmett was really big for his age. His hair had grown a little and he was wearing it in a stylish flick. His muscles had developed a bit with all the wrestling he did and his hug was strong and grounded. I took a deep breath of his jacket as he held me close to him and recognised the distinct smell of his house. The deep earthy tones of his cologne smelled different to Edward's lighter, sweeter one and immediately that thought brought back the events of this afternoon, causing me to cry again.

"Oh, Rose, don't cry, what's the matter?" I shook my head and delved deeper into the familiar embrace. "Oh come on, it can't have been that bad, really, what is it?" I pulled away and looked at him. His eyes held true feeling and concern, just like Edwards, although Emmett's were a sparkling ice blue, compared to Edward's expressive emerald eyes.

"Really Emmett, it's nothing, I'm fine, go back to school, I'll walk back now, I am missing fifth period." I disconnected myself from him and walked slowly back to school. He didn't follow...

"Bella! Get UP!" I yelled at my sister through her closed door. It was her first day of Middle school, and my first day of High school. Alice was listening to her iPod as she ate breakfast downstairs and texting her boyfriend on her brand new phone. She got it for her 'very best report yet!' Alice knew the stuff, but she didn't even have to try, unlike _some_ people in the family, who try their very hardest at everything, and get good grades and everything, but _they_ don't get brand new phones do they? NO!

Giving up, I barged through Bella's door to find her dressed and sitting on her bed with tears running down her face. I ran over to her and sat on her bed, rocking her gently from side to side and shushing gently into her hair.

"What's up baby?" She shuddered against me and dug her head deeper into my shoulder. "Is it because dad isn't here, Hun?" She nodded her head into my collar bone and I sighed. My dad was never there, hadn't been very much since I was nine years old. He was working for my uncle, and was always away on random business trips etc. Bella was affected the most by this; she still felt like the baby in the family, and didn't take too well to dad being away. She was a stereotypical 'Daddy's little girl'.

"I just - can't believe ...that he's...not here - for my first day...of mid,dle scho-ool!" She sobbed harder into my chest and I stroked her long mahogany hair. I pulled her up by her arms and dragged into my room, right next to hers. I sat her down on my bed this time and went to fetch a wipe and my make-up bag.

"Right, I want you to calm down and take deep breaths for me." She did as I asked while I gently wiped away the tears staining her face. "Ok, good, now hold your breath for five seconds, then release it slowly." She sucked in a huge gulp of air and held it, before slowly letting it out in a steady stream of cool air. I pulled a hair band over her face to hold her hair back and began applying a light layer of foundation while I instructed her to keep breathing slowly.

I put on a little bit of eyeliner and mascara, followed by some clear lip-gloss while she continued to breathe deeply. Soon, she calmed down completely and I directed her to the mirror. She smiled at her reflection and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back and began plaiting her hair in a sophisticated style that ran down her back.

"OK honey, what do you think?" She flicked the braid over her shoulder and smiled brightly at me. "Good, now, get your butt downstairs and have some breakfast." I forced a smile onto my face as she practically skipped out of the room. Sighing again, I collapsed onto my bed and let the tears fall for a few minutes as I thought about facing Edward in the car this morning after what happened over the summer...

"_No! Eleazar, don't! Leave it, don't go round and see him, it'll only make things worse!" I pulled on my cousin's arm as he tried to leave the house, unfortunately for me, he had Alice on his side._

"_Stop being such a spoil sport, _Rosie_" She sneered the name and I growled at her, tears rising. She knew I hated that nickname, she also knew how much I hated the person that gave it to me, the person they were now going to ask out, on my behalf!_

"_Stop it Alice, you know all about what happened, I can't _believe_ that you are about to do this!" I released Eleazar in indignation and stormed up to my room to find Kate, my other cousin._

_Eleazar and Kate looked very alike, they could have been twins! They both had the pale skin that was a family trait and deep, chocolate brown hair that hung in waves. Eleazar's features were sharpened, and he was far shorter than Kate, but given his age, and the size of his ankles, he was sure to catch up fast._

_Kate was a head height taller than me, and I am not exactly short, just average. Bella was fast catching up to her, and Alice was already taller than her, but this didn't faze Kate like it did me. She was always so nice to everyone, nothing bothered her at all._

_Eleazar was a different story. He had a fierce temper, much like myself, and again, like myself, was very, very protective of his friends and family. _

_Eleazar was Alice's age and Kate mine, so we both had someone to vent to when the other got on our nerves. This could be seen as a good thing, or a bad thing. A good thing for me, because Alice frequently got on my nerves, but bad for Kate for the same reason._

"_I don't get why she won't just leave me alone! I mean, she has her friends picking on me, why does she have to do it herself? I am beyond glad that I will be away from her for a year, I might finally have a chance to find some friends!" I practically yelled so loudly, I hardly heard the door slam._

"_We're back, he wasn't home." I breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled at Kate. I gestured for her to follow me as I walked out the door of my bedroom. She tried to jump on my back as I walked down the stairs, laughing with her, until I reached the door of the study, and then I stopped walking abruptly._

"_What Rose?" Kate looked over my shoulder and gasped at what she saw in front of her. Alice and Eleazar were sitting at the computer on MSN and they were talking to Edward. "Eleazar! What the hell were you thinking?" Kate's face faded out as I stared at the conversation glaring at me from the screen. Even when Alice hastily closed the window, the words written there in garish pink and green mocked me from behind my eyelids, shining brightly and slowly breaking down my resolve._

Allllyyyyyyyyyy! :) =If she asked, would you go out with Rose? : P: P

don't . call . me . eddie=NO

_NO_

_No_

_no_

"No..." I whispered as the tears silently fell down my face.

I sat up slowly, wiping the tears away and grabbed my school bag as I heard Emmett's Jeep pull up outside the house. I ran down the stairs, grabbed hold of the cereal bar that my mum was holding out to me and walked out the door, slamming it behind me.

I walked towards Emmett's Jeep and saw that he had left the front seat open. I laughed as I saw him waving for me to hurry up and him pointing at the front seat. I ran a little quicker and yanked open the door. I looked into the back and my face fell as I saw Edward sitting in the back seat, looking morose.

"So, Rosie Posy, whatcha been up toooo?" He dragged out the oo sound at the end of the word and I laughed at him, brushing away the pain that stung me when he called me'Rosie'. I looked at him and found him looking at me, his eyebrows raised suggestively, he wiggled them before putting the car into drive and peeling out of the driveway.

"Oh, nothing much, you?" I couldn't help but keep looking distractedly over my shoulder at Edward. I flicked my head back and caught him staring at me, guilt and apologies written all over his face. I snapped my head back to the front and continued an animated conversation with Emmett about Freshman life, etc. etc. Basically, it boiled down to that, everyone knew Emmett and soon everyone would know that I knew Emmett, so I wouldn't have much trouble from anyone really.

Edward climbed out of the car first and walked away towards the main building. Emmett frowned and shook his head.

"Do _you _ have any idea why he's acting like that?" I shook my head, biting my lip, _don't tell him, don't tell him, don't tell him, _ I chanted to myself in my head. "Oh well, I wonder if he couldn't get the girl he wanted or something, I mean, he's been like that for three weeks, mum's really worried." My breathing hitched. Three weeks. The exact time it had been since he said 'No' to me, or rather, to my sister.

"I don't know Em, but point me in the direction of the office will ya?" He smiled at me and reached a hand out to ruffle my hair. I glared at him and he retracted his hand, grinning sheepishly at me as I beamed back at him; he really was like my big brother. He grabbed my hand and pointed it in the direction to go in. I smiled again and wrapped my arms around his middle. "I love you Big Bro!" Something in his stance faltered and he patted me on the head.

"You too Rosie Posy, you too." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and I frowned, but as I opened my mouth to speak, Emmett rolled down the window excitedly and began to talk to one of his friends, Marc, I think. I smiled at his changeable nature and climbed slowly out of the car before carefully closing the door so as not to interrupt Emmett talking.

I walked towards the main office and just as I was opening the door, I felt large arms wrap around my waist and began to panic. But I heard a familiar voice whisper into my ear and I relaxed immediately.

"Why won't you talk to me?" I spoke slowly and carefully so as not to betray my emotions. Edward released his hold on me immediately and took a step back frowning. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, his jacket held by his side. He made a small noise like he was going to say something and then walked off again, disappearing in the throng of students milling about. I stood there, stock still, confused and disorientated.

"Hey, Rosie, why are you standing there like a lemon, come on, I need to get my schedule too, so we can go together." I let Emmett put his arm around my shoulders and lead me into the office, but my heart and head were somewhere else completely. They were with Edward, the boy who broke my heart and then stomped on the pieces a little more. The boy that I would pick up my heart for, the one who could help me get over the pain and anger I felt.

"Rosalie Swan and Emmett Cullen, please." I heard Emmett's voice, just a faint whisper in my ear. The blood started pulsing through my head, creating a rushing noise that distracted me completely. "Thank you. Oh no, I'm sure she's just a little shocked at the new environment, I'll sort her out before her first lesson." He pulled me over to a chair in the office, but it felt like my feet were moving of their own accord, I kept stumbling and tripping, almost as if I had forgotten how to move.

"Ok, Rosie, you're scaring me just a little bit now, what's wrong?" I couldn't answer him, nothing would work, my throat was dry and my breathing was laboured. I could get enough oxygen into my lungs and all my gasping was causing me to get a little light headed. I slumped against Emmett, still fully conscious, but unable to do anything. "Rose!" My whole body started shaking and I was aware of Emmett wrapping his arms around me and putting me on the floor. My body stopped shaking, but the act of laying me down caused every single drop of blood I had to rush straight to my brain.

I saw black spots in the corners of my eyes, and my eyes drooped shut, then everything stopped.

"She's waking up now I think, just a panic attack, probably from the move, you know?" I heard whispers rising from the darkness that surrounded me entirely. "I was looking at her medical records for the school just now, and it tells me that she had appendicitis, is that true?" I felt something move against my head and opened my eyes groggily, blinking a few times from the bright lights in the nurse's office at school. "Ah, hello dear." A plump nurse was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room and she smiled at me with straight, white teeth. I smiled back and noticed that a weight had moved from my arm and I looked down to find Emmett staring up at me from a chair right beside the bed.

"Rosie!" He smiled and sighed, it looked like he had been about to cry. I smiled back at him and tried to get up, but all the blood rushed to my head again and I swayed on the spot, causing Emmett to jump up in alarm and grab my shoulders to steady me. I shook his hands off irately, standing up straight again and slipping on my shoes. I grabbed my bag from Emmett who was standing there, looking like an idiot, with my bag and his thrown over his shoulders.

He had grown quite a bit in three years and now towered over me, almost two feet taller than me. His muscles were a lot more pronounced as he now did weight lifting and baseball every day, alternately. I smiled as the nurse handed Emmett and I notes for our teachers. We were only ten minutes late, but the teachers would still be annoyed if we didn't have a note.

Emmett walked me to the door of my classroom. He knocked on the door and the teacher opened it, frowning disapprovingly down his nose at me. Emmett handed in my note and the teachers face shifted from annoyance to concern. He took one look at my pale face and waved me through the door. He handed me books and told me to sit next to the one person I had hoped to avoid this year; Edward Cullen.

The rest of that day went smoothly, as did the rest of the week, and the rest of the term. I met Carmen on the second day of school, and we instantly became great friends. She had short brown hair that was naturally curly but professionally straightened every six months. Her eyes were an inquisitive blue that always sparkled when she was excited or up to something.

We also met Tanya. She was nice, but a little fake. She had long blonde hair, a few shades darker than mine, which tapered at the end of her ponytail. It had dyed highlights that reduced the quality of her hair dramatically and looked dyed because she had never bothered to have them re-done.

Along with Tanya came Irina. Irina and Tanya were twins and it was easy to see where Tanya got her inspiration from. Irina had beautiful blonde hair, again, a few shades darker than mine, but Irina's shone in the sun and the fluorescent lights glanced of the angled fringe that sat lightly across her forehead, just slightly covering her right eye. Her make-up was perfect, with brown mascara fanning out her lashes, and light green eye shadow adorning her eyelids.

We also met Zafrina later through the year. Zafrina was gorgeous. She originated from India and her parents moved to Forks to avoid their parents. Zafrina's hair was glossy black satin that fell and rested on her collar bones, flicking up perfectly at the ends to create a simple, but effective style. Her eyes shone a deep brown, almost black, that sparkled with expression all the time. She was tall and slim, with a beautiful figure that fit perfectly into the skinny jeans and tank tops that she wore with open jackets over the top, exposing her amazing physique.

We also met Maggie and Siobhan. They were sisters. Siobhan was in the year above Maggie, but they were best friends and always made me envy their relationship. Alice was never that easy to be around and I was worried that we would turn out like my mum and her sister, never talking to each other, and not standing to be in the same room as each other.

We all became fast friends, and by the time Christmas came around, we didn't want to leave each other. Maggie and Siobhan were going to Corfu for the beginning of Christmas, coming back on Christmas Eve. Tanya and Irina were taking a trip up to Alaska to visit their distant cousins. But Carmen was staying at home and so was Zafrina, plus Eleazar and Kate were going to come up and visit, so we decided to have a relatively large get together with all of us, alcohol and movies.

I walked up to Emmett's table in the cafeteria; he never minded if I came to talk to him, not like Edward would have. As I approached the 'jock' table, as Emmett like to call it, I noticed a familiar, but unwanted face sitting next to Emmett. Edward was at Emmett's table.

"Hey, Rose, why are you walking away, come sit. Edward, squish over, make room for Rosie!" I grimaced before turning to face him again with a forced smile gracing my face. I noticed Edward wince and my broken heart failed again as I thought of the unfortunate occurrence from the holidays.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" I threw my arms up in the air and Emmett laughed. I sat next to him and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he spoke. I tried to ignore the heated stare that was focused on me, emanating from the person on my right. I did not need to talk to him right now. But never the less, I found myself laughing at his jokes, answering his riddles, and generally having a good time with him again.

I looked over at Carmen and Zafrina every now and then. They looked really sympathetic and I immediately remembered why. Tapping Emmett on the shoulder, I whispered into his ear that I was leaving and he nodded his head without once looking away from his friends. I clambered awkwardly over the bench and almost fell, but Edward and Emmett snapped around and each slipped an arm around my waist. Edward's arm crushed my ribcage, and made it hard for me to breath, whereas Emmett's arm actually cushioned the blow and the rebound of my landing in his arms. It felt nice. Really nice.

I blushed and quickly disentangled myself from them, but Edward caught my wrist and anger flared inside me once again. _I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I hate him._ I thought to myself, over and over again, trying to convince myself that this laughable notion was true. How could I hate him if I loved him?

"Rose, I..." I shook my head and pulled my arm away, walking over to the table where my friends were seated and grabbing my bag. Swinging it agilely over my shoulder, I stalked past Edward and Emmett with tears clouding my vision, and walked silently to the car park, vaguely aware of someone following me.

"Rose, seriously, listen to me." I turned to find Edward standing behind me. "Rosie - " I cut him off short.

"You have NO RIGHT! No right, to call me that. You can't do it! You stopped being _my_ friend, remember?" He looked at me questioningly and I sighed in frustration, although it turned into more of a huff of exasperation than anything else. "You stopped talking to me Edward, then you _broke my heart_, when you knew full well what I thought of you!"

"Look, Rose, I know that my comment in sixth grade hurt you, I knew that it did then, but really, that was three years ago! How can you still hold a grudge over that?" I looked at him in pain and he looked at me confused. "What? Was it not that? Tell me what I did Rosalie!" That stung; no one called me Rosalie.

"You really don't know do you Edward? How about asking Alice what you did? Or maybe Eleazar? They both know. Carmen knows too, you could ask her. Or how about my baby sister? You know, the one who had to live with her big, strong, older sister crying herself to sleep every night over _you_!" I turned around to hide my tears, but I knew that he could see my shoulders shaking.

"Rose..." He trailed off and I felt his hand brush against my shoulder before I ripped it away and whirled round to face him.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! That's what you said! You said no! And I hated you for it; I still do. And even though I always knew that you were too good for me, it still hurt. You know why? Because I love you Edward Cullen, I love you and there's not a thing you can do about it!" I sobbed and ran from the car park into the woods outside the school. I ran through them until I reached the Middle School. I ran through the car park and into the familiar cafeteria. I didn't stop running until I fell into the arms of my sister.

"Rose!" She wrapped her arms around me and Jasper came over to help her manoeuvre me out of the building. "Rosie, what's wrong?" I sobbed a few more times and just let her hug me. I pulled away and wiped my eyes on my sleeves. "Seriously, Rose, you're scaring me." I shook my head and cast my eye over to Jasper. He was Edward's brother, I couldn't say anything now.

"Nothing Alice, nothing, I just needed a hug from my sister is all, it'll all be fine." I forced a smiled onto my face and Alice returned it, seeing nothing different, but Jasper looked at me appraisingly and my smile faltered. "Right, I'll see you at home Alice." I muttered, disjointedly, Jasper's gaze still boring into my own eyes, my stare wavering under the impact of his greyish eyes.

I walked quickly back through the forest and picked my bag up from where I had dropped it before walking calmly back into school and to period five...

"Mum! Will you _tell_ her to stop doing that!" I yelled to my mum from upstairs as Bella bashed it out on the drums. I was trying to finish an English essay, and I did not need her playing the drums!

"Sweetie, she has to do drum practise." My mum called up the stairs in a slightly distressed voice, and I could tell that she was worrying about Dad again.

"Well, tell her to take it out to the garage!" I yelled back, my voice ripping through two octaves as I threw my biro at the wall. I sighed and put my head into my hands, rubbing my face roughly before giving up and pulling on my trainers. I jogged down the stairs with my headphones in my ears and yelled out so that my mum knew where I was. "I'm going for a run!" I faintly heard her call back in answer to me, but I was already out the door and switching on my headphones as I jogged steadily up the drive...

I ran back down the lane and almost walked straight into Esme's car as she was pulling out.

"Oh, hello dear, how are you honey?" She smiled warmly at me with charm even Edward can't manage and I felt my heart twinge as I realised that she had lost a daughter when Edward got rid of his friend, and I hated him all the more for it.

"I'm good thanks Esme, how are you?" She smiled at me again and I saw a flicker of hope flash in her eyes; I knew she had always intended for at least one of her boys to end up with one of us, I just hoped she knew it wasn't me.

"I'm great darling, thank you for asking. How is school going for you? I know that you have some classes with Edward; he talks about you a lot you know?" I smiled sweetly, trying to ignore the burning desire to run over there and throw myself into his arms.

"It's really good, thank you, it's tough, but I'm working hard. I'm in almost all AP classes you know? I guess you do, Edward's the same; we don't just have _some_ classes together, we have _all_ classes together!" I laughed half-heartedly at my own response and I'm sure Esme saw my face fall a little.

"Well honey, it was nice talking to you, we'll have to organise dinner or something soon, yes?" I nodded my head, acknowledging her comment, but I am fairly certain she knew that I wasn't paying proper attention. "Emmett's back soon, he is flying in from New York for Christmas, isn't it exciting? I can't wait for him to get here..." I stopped listening as I thought about Emmett...

"_Bells, stop it, you know that dad can't be here all the time, and he told you that he would be here for your birthday, so I don't get why you are so upset." She shrugged her shoulders and leaned into me, sobbing a little more. I waited for her to tell me what was really going on, and hoped that she would be able to confide in me.._

"_OK, you want to know the truth Rose?" I nodded and held her at arm's length by the shoulders. "James broke up with me yesterday, and I don't want to go to school and face him again today! It hurt so much!" Fresh sobs broke out and I pulled her close to me again, rocking us back and forward. My little sisters _both_ had boyfriends pouring out of their ears, and I had no one. Not one person that wanted to go out with me. _

"_OK, Hun, I have to finish getting ready. Brush your hair and put on that new outfit. You know? The one we bought last week?" She nodded her head and began getting ready. I walked out of her room and into my own. I picked up my brush and pulled it through my long golden hair._

"_Bella, Rose! Your lifts are here!" My dad called up the stairs and I sighed. Grabbing a bobble, I yanked my hair up into a messy bun and let it rest on the top of my head before I swung my school bag over my shoulder and raced down the stairs to Emmett's car. I stopped short when I saw Edward in the front; he _never_ sat in the front, Emmett always saved it for me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and grabbed my iPod to entertain myself on the half hour ride to school._

_We reached school, and I was going to ask Emmett what was wrong, but he got straight out of the car and walked away. I slowly slid out and was immediately joined by Tanya and Carmen talking about their boyfriends and how one did this, and the other did that. They were really just having a conversation over me because I wasn't joining in; I was trying to work out why Emmett was blowing me off. _

_I finally came to the conclusion that he finally came to his senses and realised that I wasn't a good friend for him to have. And I never spoke to him again before the end of the year when he-_

"Goodbye Rose, sweetheart." Esme smiled sympathetically, and I, in turn, gave her an apologetic one.

"Bye" I mumbled, she probably didn't even hear me. I walked slowly back to my house and completely forgot about Emmett and immersed myself in my school work. I still had that essay to write: _Love in Shakespeare. _

**I hope you've enjoyed reading, the next part will be posted very soon : )**

**Lots of Love, GeorgieMarie95 xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 lovelies :) review and I'll answer any questions you might have about my plot/characters etc.**

**Again, not the best writing, but it's a re-post so, forgive me :)**

"Edward just called sweetheart, he wanted to know what the Biology homework was, he didn't seem to be paying much attention in class, and I just wondered if you noticed anything."

"No, nothing, he seemed fine. The Biology homework was last night mum, and it was in today, he was supposed to do the three questions on page 15, draw diagrams and annotate them correctly. It took me about an hour, so it should take him about two."

"Rose!"

~0~

"Rosie, honey, Edward has been round four times this week asking for homework, is everything OK with him?"

"He seems fine, what homework did he want?"

~0~

"Rose, Edward called..."

"Whatever."

~0~

"Rose, Edward needs to know the Chemistry..."

"Tell him to phone Mike."

~0~

"Edward needs help with..."

"I'm busy."

~0~

"Edward needs..."

"I don't care."

~0~

"Edward..."

"Don't bother."

~0~

"Edward..."

"Mum."

~0~

"Honey?" I looked up at my mum. She had tears in her eyes and was gripping the phone tightly in her hand. I suppose I had noticed it ring, but I was far too busy avoiding conversations about Edward, and doing my homework to really pay any attention to the conscious world around me.

"Yes mum?" Her tears started a fresh and I jumped up to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "What's going on? Who was that?"

"Emmett," my heart stopped, "he's at the hospital..." She hardly had the sentence out of her mouth before I grabbed her and her keys, pushed her into the front seat and instructed her to drive. She did as I asked, her hands fumbling around a little as she tried to start the car and put it into gear. Finally we were on the road and moving towards the hospital.

My mind was racing at a mile a minute as I focused on what this could mean; we could lose Emmett. My mum had looked pretty shaken up on the phone and I couldn't get this sick feeling out of my stomach, an almost dull ache, incessant and foreboding. Tears formed in my eyes as I thought of all the good times we had had together, from meeting him, up until the day he left for College...

~0~

"_Bella! Will you hurry up, we'll be late!" I screamed up the stairs to my sister; I was nervous about being there. Emmett was leaving for College and we wouldn't see him for ages! He would be gone until Christmas. Finally, Bella hurtled down the stairs; I grabbed her arm and pushed her out of the door. Alice, my mum and dad were waiting for us, and we immediately set out for the house around the corner. _

"_Renee! Charlie! It's so good to see you! Come in, come in, Emmett is just upstairs finishing off his packing, why don't you go help him Rose? The boys are in the game room girlies, you just head on up!" Esme was positively beaming as she waved us into her house and up her stairs in almost one breath. I suppressed a giggle as I heard her excited chatter fade away. I ascended the narrow staircase remembering the first time I had met Esme; I had been so intimidated. _

_Emmett had turned 18 three months ago and was ecstatic that he was going to college. He had applied to about 15 different colleges and had been accepted into every one, except Seattle. That meant that he was moving further away. I couldn't figure out why I cared so much, he was blowing me off all the time. I hadn't spoken to him since that day that Edward was sitting in the front and it was starting to bug me. He finally chose to move to New York. _New York_ of all places! Why did he have to move so far away? Oh, well, it was time to confront him._

_I climbed up the many stairs until I reached Emmett's room. I smiled at Jasper when he came out of his room to 'collect' Alice. He returned the smile and wrapped his arm around Alice, dragging her into his bedroom and closing the door behind him. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward so that I was in front of Emmett's door. I raised my hand to knock and was greeted by Emmett's chest._

"_Oh, hey, Rose. How are you?" He looked really nervous and I smiled sheepishly back at him._

"_Um, I'm...cool, thanks for asking. How about you? Nervous?" He smiled brightly and that gave me confidence. He nodded his head and then laughed before pulling me into a tight hug. I laughed too and squeezed back, willing away the tears that threatened to appear._

"_Yeah, I'm nervous Rosie, but you keep your phone on all the time right?" I shook my head and he looked disheartened. "Oh, well, never mind. You probably wouldn't want me calling you every day anyway." I released me and I felt like letting the tears spill, just so that he would hug me again._

"_Emmett, I can turn my phone on if you want me to." He shook his head without looking at me and I stepped forward, wrapping my small hand around his large forearm, my fingers barely reached the softer underside of the thick limb. "Emmett..." He snapped his head up and looked me in the eyes. Slowly, he reached his hand up and I let mine drop. He stroked my cheek affectionately and smiled sadly, running the back of his hand over the soft skin._

"_Rosie, you know I'm gonna miss you the most don't you?" I shook my head and looked at the floor, causing his hand to fall from my face. I immediately regretted the action as I felt the cold air seeping into the previously warm flesh. "Well, I am, and I'm sorry I've been blowing you off, but I just-" He stopped abruptly and I looked up at him with confusion plastered onto my face._

"_What? You just what?" He shook his head and ducked back into his bedroom. I followed him and closed the door behind me. "Seriously, Emmett, what?" He shuffled his feet and peered at me from underneath his long eyelashes. "Emmett?" My voice faded, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I looked at him._

"_I'm sorry Rosie." Then he launched himself at me. I was shocked for all of five seconds before I started kissing back. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer while I stood on the tips of my toes to secure my arms around his neck. I twisted my neck, not entirely sure of what to do, but he lead me, running his tongue along my bottom lip. I sighed at the contact and he took advantage of that, sticking his tongue in my mouth, but not in an unpleasant way. _

_I found some new strength inside me somewhere and managed to nudge his leg backwards so that he fell onto his bed, pulling me down with him. He ran his hand down my back and up my shirt. I shivered at the cool touch of his fingers on my burning skin. He ran his fingers up and down, just lightly grazing my back in a way that would usually have me giggling like mad. I felt grounded, but somehow lifted now; like nothing could go wrong._

_Of course, it did._

_Emmett ran his fingers up my back once more and hooked his finger under the clasp of my bra. I froze._

"_Oh, God, Rosie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Forgive me?" I nodded dumbly, pulling myself away from him. I straightened my top and did up my jacket. "Rose?" I looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes. I opened my mouth to say something when the door opened and Jasper stumbled in followed by a giggling Alice tripping over the rug._

"_Oopsie Daisy Jazzy Pie, looks like we walked in on something here!" Oopsie Daisy? Jazzy Pie? Alice tripping?_

"_Alice Swan! Have you been drinking?" Alice giggled and shook her head at me, her eyes dancing with mischief. Emmett stepped forward and pushed me out of the way, walking into Jasper's room. _

"_JASPER CARLISLE CULLEN!" Emmett's voice was like thunder as he walked out of Jasper's room holding a smoking cigarette that was definitely _not_ a cigarette and a small packet of a _very_ illegal substance that looked like dried rosemary._

"_Alice?" I whispered and she turned on me, anger burning on her face, her eyes wild with a fury that terrifies me to this day._

"_What? You think I don't know what I was doing? Do you think he _tricked_ me? Jasper, trick, me?" She laughed manically and I felt something break inside my heart. "You are a selfish bitch you know Rosalie? You are a selfish bitch who doesn't deserve to be my sister! Yep, that's right, I said it; you don't deserve me! You don't deserve Jasper, or Emmett, or Edward either! They are all better than you, and Bella doesn't like you either, she hates you really, she just is too nice to see you get hurt, and you know what Rosalie? I HATE YOU TOO!" _

_Tears pricked at my eyes and spilled over the edge silently at her nonsensical words as I pushed past her and into Jasper's room. Emmett followed me and together we ripped the room to shreds. I tried to ignore the smell of sex and the used condoms on the floor and my sister's underwear lying forgotten on Jasper's bed. _

_We pulled out draws and clothes from the wardrobes, searching every pocket and every little box. In total, we found three little Ziploc bags full of the drug and two rolls of cigarette papers. I knelt down and peered under the bed._

"_Rose? Rose, what's wrong? What have you found?" I realised that I had been shaking, with anger, shock and pain. There, lying on the floor, underneath Jasper's bed, lay two used needles..._

"Rose? Rose?" I looked at my mum and saw her looking worriedly at me. I looked out of the windscreen and it took me a few seconds to register the sight of the hospital in front of me. "We're here... Rose! Come back!" I had jumped out of the car and I ran. I kept running, running away from my mother, into the hospital, towards Emmett...

_EMMETT?!_

"Rose, are you OK?" he looked defeated, almost as if he thought I was running away from him. I skidded to a halt and ran back to him, throwing my arms around his huge waist.

"You're OK, you're OK!" I almost yelled, earning myself disapproving glares from other patients and nurses. "Oh, God, Emmett, when mum said you were at the hospital, I thought the worst, I thought I'd lost you, Emmett!" He disentangled himself from me and frowned down at me.

"You mean, you thought it was me?" I nodded, confused; if it wasn't him, then who the hell was it? "Rose, do you know who's in here? Rose?" I was shaking my head. No, it couldn't have been him. It wasn't allowed! No, I refused to believe it.

Emmett grabbed my arms and pulled me to his chest, sighing. I was aware of the hospital shaking, and strange ripping noises coming from somewhere close. I didn't figure out that it was me until much later. I just stood there, Emmett's arms around me, rocking me back and forth as I wept for the person lying on the operating table.

Edward...

~0~

"No change, we're still waiting for the surgeons to finish with him..."

~0~

"He's in critical condition..."

~0~

"We don't know much, but there is a great chance that he won't survive..."

~0~

"Does your daughter need something Mrs Swan? She looks a bit pale..."

~0~

"Um, sir, madam, your son is asking for you." My head shot up from looking at my hands. They were intertwined with Emmett's. His grip tightened as I tried to stand up. "He wants no one else Miss, sorry." I nodded my head and felt my face heat up from embarrassment.

"It's OK Rosie; we'll get to see him soon." I shook my head. "Yes, we will, he's sure to want you to come and see him."

"No, Emmett, he won't want to see me, he hates me!" My tears started again and I heard voices surrounding me as Emmett picked me up as though I was weightless.

He was taking me home...

~0~

"No, Emmett, take me back!" I struggled against his hold as he held me down in my seat. "Let me GO!" He looked me in the eyes and I shrank away from the anger and pain I saw there.

"I am not letting you go anywhere Rose, you need to calm down. Edward doesn't hate you and he probably does want to see you, but I am only taking you back if you calm down." I nodded, shocked at the force behind Emmett's words.

"But, Emmett, you don't understand..." I began nervously, watching as his hands twisted on the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the stretching of his skin. "You don't know what he did to me, Emmett, he does hate me. He really does." The tears started to flow again and Emmett looked at me in anguish.

"I do know Rosie. I was there baby." I was so confused by his words that I didn't even notice that he called me baby, not until it was too late anyway.

"What do you mean, 'you know'? How were you there? You can't have been!" I stared at him and he gazed right back into my eyes.

"'No! No, no, no, no, no! That's what you said! You said no! And I hated you for it; I still do. And even though I always knew that you were too good for me, it still hurt. You know why? Because I love you Edward Cullen, I love you and there's not a thing you can do about it!' That's what you said, and it really hurt Rose, really." His voice was monotone and unfeeling as he looked dead straight into my eyes. He looked in so much pain, but all I could do was sit there and be shocked that he heard our conversation.

"Em..." I shifted forward and tried to touch his arm but he pulled it away and started the car again.

"I'm taking you back to the hospital, then I'm going back home to pack." I stared at him in confusion as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. He pulled the car out of the lay-by and started driving.

"Where are you going?"

"Away. Back to College, I don't know. Somewhere far away from this God forsaken hell hole!" He slammed his fists down onto the steering wheel and a single tear dropped from my face as I recognised what I had done.

"Bye Emmett." I whispered quietly, but his gaze stayed on the road, never wavering. "I love you, Em." It didn't feel right to say 'Big Bro' at this moment; it seemed too jovial and unsuitable. I didn't realise until many years later that it never felt quite right calling him my brother, but part of me did recognise at that moment that I would never do it again...

~0~

I was silent for hours. Just sitting still in the waiting room, wishing that someone would tell me that I could go and see Edward or that Emmett would come waltzing in with a huge smile and some pink roses for Edward. I stared at the ground and listened to people move and talk around me, but not taking any notice of the words they were saying.

Everything was muted in my head and blood rushed through my ears as I thought about the terrible effects that both occurrences would have on our families. Esme was not yet aware of Emmett leaving, and she would be devastated when she walked back into the house and found it empty; nothing but a note left of Emmett.

"Miss Swan?" My head shot up and I looked at the nurse standing in front of me. "Mr Cullen would like to see you. You are Rosalie, correct?" I nodded dumbly and followed her into the cold white room where Edward lay; tubes flowing conspicuously from every patch of skin on his body.

"Rose?" His voice cracked and my heart just about broke at the sight of him, lying there, helpless and in pain. "You came?" I nodded, mute from shock and nervousness. He half-smiled at me and then grimaced from the pain. I winced as he shifted awkwardly and groaned from the agony coursing through his body.

I coughed, trying to find the right words to say to him. His face fell as he realised that I would stay silent and he coughed as well, trying to force himself into an upright position. He cried out and I leapt forward.

"Be careful! Idiot, you got yourself hit by a car or something and now you're trying to move! What are you? Crazy?" He smiled triumphantly and I realised that he was trying to make me talk. "Oh you stupid, stupid boy! I would have spoken eventually; it's kind of awkward you know, seeing as you have been blatantly ignoring me for an age-"

"Rose."

"-And the last time we did speak you walked away from me, and don't think I don't know what you said to my sister, why would you answer a question like that?-"

"Rosie."

"-I was perfectly happy pretending, and quite honestly, I haven't spoken to Alice for a while either, but seriously, don't you think it's obvious that I would find out if you told her? Really? And, just so you know, my cousins were there as well, and-"

"Rosie!"

"-they saw the whole thing! It was really very insensitive of you-"

"ROSALIE!" I stood there breathing heavily and I looked at Edward who had a look of pain on his face.

"Oh God, do you need more medication? Should I call for the nurse? Really, do you need anything? I can get you something if you need it-"

"Rosalie! I'm fine, but, can you stop saying all that stuff about me hurting you? I feel bad enough about it all without you telling me how much pain you were in." I was completely shocked by his words and stood still, processing what he had said. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" I stared at him in disbelief; eyes wide, mouth hanging as if on loose hinges. "If you weren't in pain right now I would hit you _so_ hard! You're _sorry_?" My voice rose in pitch as I became hysterical. "You basically left me Edward, you hurt me, and it pisses me off! Why would you do that? Just because you wanted to be cool, and couldn't because of me? What the hell?"

He just looked at me.

"Say something dammit!" He remained still and silent. His breathing was soft and his eyes were misty. "God dammit, Edward, I don't need this! You have no idea what you have done! You hurt Emmett, because you hurt me, and Alice and Jasper are in some serious trouble right now, and you are being so selfish! How can you not see the consequences of your actions? Or do you see them and just decide to ignore them?" I looked at him expectantly; hand on my hip, eyebrow cocked inquisitively.

"I'm so-"

"So _help_ me _God_! If you try to say, 'I'm sorry' one more goddamn time, I am going to rip you head off! I don't care if you were in an accident, whatever; I will rip your head off your Godforsaken shoulders and throw it at you repeatedly!" I looked at him angrily, arms crossed furiously over my chest, eyebrows pointing towards each other as my eyes pierced his with an icy glare.

"I-" he stopped himself as my steady gaze weakened his own. "I never meant to hurt anyone, and I really am sorry, oh shut it! I have to apologise, or you will never know how sorry I really am. I need you to believe me Rosie, Rose, sorry." I felt the tears prick at my eyes, but even when my eyes misted over completely with tears I never broke my gaze with him.

Not until the door slammed against the wall did I look away from him. I felt a pull from behind me and looked over my shoulder to find Emmet standing there, glaring at Edward like he wanted to kill him.

"You were running from the cops because they busted you for drugs?" Emmett demanded of him. I gasped and felt the strange tugging coming from behind my navel, pulling me backwards, working with the simultaneous push I was feeling from Edward's side of the room at this revelation. I complied and was met with Emmett's chest. "Rosie, I suggest you go and wait outside for me, I'm taking you home when I've finished with him." His arms had wrapped around my waist instinctively pulling me from 'harm's way' even though he was still looking at Edward over my head. I twisted in his grip, allowing myself to see his face, and gripped his sides worriedly.

Edward flinched when Emmett called me Rosie, but I simply smiled at the endearment and ignored Edward's discomfort. He decided to ignore me, so I was ignoring him. If only I could have kept it up.

"No! Emmett, you were going to leave, and I don't want you getting in trouble for hurting him. Just calm down, come outside and talk with me about what happened, and then, if I feel that it's necessary, we'll both come back in here and yell at him together, OK?" Emmett looked down at me and the hard expression on his face softened just slightly. "Please?" His resolve weakened and he smiled at me, leaning down and pushing his face into my hair.

"Alright, let's go." He looked away from me and his expression hardened as he glared at Edward. To him, he said, "You and I are gonna have a serious talk, bud." Then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside of the hospital room. I followed easily, gripping his forearms tightly, as if he would disappear at any moment.

When we were outside the room, I waited until the door was fully closed before I launched myself at him and hugged him tightly. He laughed as I ran my hands over his back and arms, and grabbed my hands to keep me still. He leant down and pecked me lightly on the lips. I giggled, blushing furiously and looked at the ground. He cocked a finger underneath my chin and directed my face up so that he could look me in the eyes.

"Rose?" I nodded meekly, feeling my eyes well up with tears at the desperation I felt at being torn between Emmett and Edward. I couldn't see what the right way was. I couldn't see which boy to go with. I loved them both, so much, and it hurt me to see them separated. "Look, if you would rather I just left and you not know what was going on, I can do that, but I really think that it's something you should know."

"No, don't go, I just, today has been a little overwhelming, you know?" I looked at him properly, seeing for the first time that day, although they had been there often, the tears that clung to his lashes and the slight gleam in his eye as he looked at me. He nodded and then his small smile got even smaller.

"I do know, and I'm sorry, because I figure that part of the problem has been me, but you really need to hear this." I nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Right, you are_ not_ going to like this one bit. Right, do you even know what happened with Edward today?" I shook my head in the negative and he sighed, running a hand through his hair; a Cullen family trait that I had grown to love over the years of knowing them.

"Just say it Em." He nodded his head and glanced at me, then back at the ground to his feet, that were, apparently, incredibly interesting right at this moment in time.

"Right, well, Edward was hit by police car." He wrinkled his nose in obvious distaste. "But, there was a reason for it. You see, Edward was running from the cops, and they thought that the best way to get him was to scare him, so they tried to nearly run him over, but as you can see, that didn't work out so well.

"Edward did stop, because he thought that there was no way they would give up, and it would just get back to mum and dad when he eventually got caught. But the police didn't figure that he would be that, moral I guess is the word, so they went ahead with the plan and he ended up here.

"But, the reason Edward was running from the feds is, well, he was busted at a supermarket for carrying drugs, lots of 'em too, there was maybe, 30 grams of coke there, and some other, stronger stuff." Emmett looked at me sheepishly, twisting his fingers together and pushing his hands down in front of him, flexing his muscles like a small boy who has just been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"Sonovabitch!" I jerked away from Emmett and slammed back through the doors to Edward's room. "What the hell?" I confronted him angrily, tears welling up in my eyes. Thoughts of my earlier revelations about Jasper and Alice flooded my head. I was 16! 16 and already, my younger sister and best friend's brother were in rehab, had been for almost two years, and now my best friend was busted for drugs as well, my youngest sister was starting to pull away from me and the only person I had left lived 2879 miles away from me!

"Rose, look, I was trying to, dammit, Emmett, why couldn't you have just fucked off back to New York like you said you would, you have just monumentally fucked my life up! Thanks man, why don't you go and tell mum and dad while you're at it?" Edward exploded, leaning forward in his bed, face turning puce from the effort and lack of breath. I felt the rage boiling in my veins as I turned on my heal and stalked back out of the doors, letting them swing behind me as I unconsciously followed my brain to the waiting room.

"Esme, do you even know why Edward is in here?" She looked at me startled and my dad looked at me disapprovingly, shaking his head, but I ignored him, choosing instead to look at Carlisle, raising my eyebrow in question.

"Yes dear," Esme sighed exasperatedly, evidentially displeased with my exclamation. "He was hit by a police car." At this she looked accusingly at my father and the anger bubbled a little more, threatening to break the surface.

"I am so sorry about that Esme, I don't know how that happened, just know, please, that whoever is responsible will be thoroughly dealt with." The flame of fury shot about ten feet in the air and I exploded.

"Stop!" Everyone looked at me in confusion. "Stop apologising, stop lying; stop _believing_ a lie! He is lying to you, all of you, that is not what happened, or not all of it in any case!" I was breathing heavily and Emmett rounded the corner, a murderous look in his eyes. He wrapped me in his arms and spoke to the others in the room.

"He has been lying to all of you, really, the police car thing was an accident, they were trying to get him to stop because he was running from them. He had drugs mum, lots of drugs, he was busted for them at a supermarket for attempted dealing. You have to believe me mum, please." I was aware of Esme crying and I stepped nearer to her, out of Emmett's arms, but she shrunk away from me.

"No, no, it's not true, you, you corrupted all of my children!" Esme's words were slurred through her tears as she pointed accusingly at me. "First Jasper with the drugs, now Emmett with the lies, and Edward, he has been so forlorn, it's all your fault, stay away from me, you _bitch_!" I shrunk back, tears gathering in my eyes and I attempted to defend myself, but both Emmett and my mother stepped in for me.

"Now you hold on a minute there Esme, I don't think it's fair that you are accusing my daughter of this, Edward being forlorn is Edward's problem. You know full well that Rosalie has liked Edward for a very long time, and he has brought this on himself by turning her away. Jasper and Alice also admitted to have been doing drugs before hand, and Rose has never been anywhere near any illegal substances. They searched both houses profusely and you yourself suggested that we all do drug tests, which of course, as you know, all came back negative, so I do not like you making these assumptions." My mother's eyes were fierce as she glared at Esme. Both fathers were looking disbelievingly at Emmett and myself.

"Do you know what I think, Renee? I think that you are just trying to cover up the conniving ways of your bitch of a daughter! I think that you are a bitch yourself, and that you have raised the three of them to be cruel to my boys, my boys who have done nothing wrong." Esme began rocking backwards and forwards in her seat, her arms hugging her chest tightly. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and tried to soothe her, but nothing would work. I fought my way out of Emmett's constraining arms and walked towards her, Carlisle looked at me sternly, silently warning me to back off, but I didn't. I raised my arm, and before anyone could stop me, I brought my hand down firmly against her face, listening as the satisfying _slap_ of skin on skin contact rang through the quiet room.

"Rosalie!" Three people shouted in unison, but I stayed looking at Esme, waiting for her to react.

It was silent.

~0~

Carlisle and my dad managed to get Edward off the hook about the drugs, and Emmett left for New York the morning after Edward got out of hospital. Jasper and Alice were still in rehab on some Spanish island somewhere, and Bella was still pulling away from me, claiming that she had more important things in life to deal with than some emotional, depressed older sister.

Esme and I came to terms again once Edward was out of the hospital, but we never really got on the way we used to. The true feelings that came out during that one encounter hung between us, blocking the way to reconciliation.

I was officially alone.

And that's how I met Royce.

He was sweet, calming and comforting when I needed softness and a gentle hand. He was firm and tough when I over stepped boundaries. He was a great laugh when I needed it and an excellent shoulder to cry on. In short, he was everything I thought I needed. He always seemed to have the upper hand in our relationship, but that didn't matter to me, because I was content to be told and not to tell.

But he soon started to get antsy, if you know what I mean, and I didn't like it. I didn't expect him to go as far as he did, but then, I didn't _expect_ anything from him or anyone else for that matter. He was always unpredictable and never liked having something taken from him, or given to him without him making an effort. He was the work a lot, play a lot kind of guy. That one who is never quite joking and never quite serious, to the extent that you just say yes dear and hope that he doesn't bite your head off.

But that day was the day that Emmett was coming back from New York for a week, and even though I was sure he wouldn't want to see me, let alone talk to me, I was still excited, and nervous, for his return. Royce didn't like it. I was becoming far to outspoken for his liking and he decided that he would try and snap me out of it.

~0~

"Royce, will you get your damn feet off the coffee table, for the last goddamn time, I don't want any marks on there!" He grumbled a little and grudgingly placed his feet on the floor. I rewarded him, albeit a little condescendingly, with a peck on the top of his head. He grabbed my waist and pulled me on top of him, attacking my mouth with his.

My dad coughed from the doorway and I pulled away, embarrassedly standing and shaking out the red top that I always wore when Emmett came home. It was a new top this time, with pleats along the straps gathering the material around the neckline with bits of the same fabric hanging down from a bow over my left breast. The top was tight around my hips, but ballooned from the gathers in the copious amounts of fabric creating a bubble effect. The long dark jeans I wore were new as well and they went well with the bright red slip-ons that adorned my feet. I smiled as I thought about my reason for wearing red whenever Emmett came home.

~0~

_It was during one of our many phone conversations that were held late at night when he first went away. I had been asking about the campus when Emmett suddenly blurted out,_

"_I like you in red." I was startled silent by his sudden statement and he hastily apologised before I shut him up._

"_Emmett, really it's fine that you said that. I was just wondering _why_ you said it at this moment in time, that's all." I heard nothing on the other end of the phone except heavy breathing. I giggled a little as I heard the shaper intake of breath and waited patiently for him to continue._

"_Umm, well, mum gave me that photo of you before you went to that disco when you were in eighth grade, the one with you in that red halter top and the jeans - " His voice cut off with a slight squeak as I burst into hysterics, that had been the worst night of my life! So far..._

~0~

"Rosalie!" Royce was yelling at me as I giggled uncontrollably on the sofa. "Ok, stop it now please." His voice was firm and I recognised a slight anger that I had detected previously that I didn't like. I was quiet immediately and tried to brush the hair from my face a little, making me look more presentable.

There was really no point.

The moment I heard the gravel crunch in our driveway, I shot up from my seat next to Royce and squealed, running excitedly to the door, yanking it open and running to the huge red Jeep filling our courtyard.

"EMMETT!" I pulled open his car door, almost taking his arm off with it and dragged him out of the car and into a hug.

"Oh my God! A bear!" I pulled away indignantly and frowned playfully at him. He smiled sheepishly and I rolled my eyes indulgently, allowing him to kiss my head quickly, before I felt myself swiftly removed from his arms.

"OW! Royce, that hurt, I'm going to have Chinese burns now, thanks a lot." He was squeezing the tops of my arms tightly, pulling the skin taut. "Ow, Royce let go." I began to struggle against him, making his hands constrict further. Tears were beading in my eyes and then he was suddenly gone and I was behind Emmett looking at Royce's legs where he was lying on the ground.

"She _told_ you to let her go." Emmett was clearly angry and was towering over Royce, even when he managed to pull himself back up to stand firm, reaching a hand out for me, Emmett still managed to clear at least half a foot, if not more.

"Well, if _you _hadn't been about to plant one on _my_ girlfriend, I wouldn't have had to hold on so tight to protect her from _you_ now would I?" The thought of anyone having to protect me from Emmett was preposterous and I showed what I thought clearly with a sharp, uncontrollable snort.

That was a mistake.

Royce's eyes darkened and he turned on me. Pushing past Emmett, he grabbed my arms and shoved me into the side of the Jeep behind me. I turned my head as he pushed through my personal space bubble and invaded my comfort zone.

"You think that's funny? That I had to stop this guy from molesting you? Maybe you like to be molested, huh? Do you? No? Oh, well then maybe you are having an affair, does that seem like a fair assumption to you? No? Well, I think it does, and if you were having an affair, I would have to punish you, so why don't you just sit there like a good girl, and I shall do what I think is best for you!"

He brought his hand back as if to slap me, or punch me, but he looked confused when his hand wouldn't fall again. Emmett had grabbed his hand and wrenched it behind his back in one sickeningly quick movement that made Royce's joints crack.

Emmett punched Royce in the gut and let him fall to the ground, stunned. He walked cautiously over to me and only when I cried out with one painful sob did he lunge forwards and wrap his arms around me comfortingly.

We sat there and rocked backwards and forwards while Emmett made shushing noises. At one point he did leave me to tell Royce to clear off, but I heard nothing of their confrontation and continued to hear nothing until Emmett had his arms wrapped around me again, cooing softly into my ear...

~0~

Emmett returned to college three days later and I didn't see him again until he met me in New York outside my brand new apartment. I finished High School a year later at 18 and immediately started packing for New York. I had accepted the place they had offered me as soon as I received the letter. I would be undertaking a Psychology degree to eventually go on and do my doctorate. Or so I thought when I started out.

Everything was fine, perfect actually. Emmett and I got on brilliantly and worked well together as a team. We had movie nights every Friday and I was beginning to fall in love with him. Then I went home for the holidays with Emmett. I was sincerely hoping that when he was in his home environment, although he was a senior in college, that he would feel comfortable enough to ask me out. But Edward got to me first.

I literally bumped into him one night. He was walking home drunk from a party at some friend's house. He of course, Mr. I'm so smart, I can go to Ivy League, went to Harvard, then decided that he didn't like it, so transferred to Dartmouth. Anyway, I walked into him and decided to help him home, expecting fully to just put him to bed and leave. I knew that Carlisle and Esme were out because I saw them leave myself.

I helped him back to his house and up the three flights of stairs that led to his bedroom. I put him on the bed and he pulled me down with him, planting a huge, wet kiss on my lips. I recoiled immediately, feeling that old attraction bubbling to the surface again but desperately trying to push it back down.

I helped him lie down and walked over to the window when I heard voices outside, thinking that Carlisle and Esme were home. How wrong I was and how much I wished that I had stayed put, or just left. But I didn't.

I looked down and saw Emmett grab a girl by the buttocks and begin making out with her on his front lawn. I stayed there for all of five seconds before I turned around and leapt on Edward, causing him to wrap his arms around me and begin kissing the life out of my lips.

I tried to focus on Edward clumsily removing my clothes and running his hands down my body, but all I could think about was Emmett with that other girl, and I thanked God the most sincerely I had in my life that Edward left the light off so that he couldn't see the silent tears running down my face...

~0~

I woke up early in the morning and immediately regretted what I had done. Edward didn't love me, never had and never will, so I was battling with myself, trying to figure out why I had felt compelled to sleep with him. I heard Edward move next to me, turning over to face me. I looked down and saw that he was awake, and utterly confused.

"Rose? What the hell are you doing here? And why are you naked? Oh God, we didn't?" I looked at him incredulously. Shaking my head, I decided to dignify him with an answer.

"No, pig, I am just so obsessed with you that I climbed through your window, which by the way is four stories up, _undressed_ myself and got into bed with you! Oh wait, I forgot the part when I took your clothes off too!" I scowled at him and ripped the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around myself. He still didn't understand! He was looking at me with a look of disbelief on his face and I felt my poorly mended heart tugging at the threads just barely holding it together. "Yes, moron, we slept together, you were drunk though, so you won't have to think about how disgusting it was for you."

He reached out his hand, pain showing on his face and I scoffed. His face fell slightly and he pulled his hand away again.

"Yeah, I guess, that wouldn't be exactly appropriate, would it?" I shook my head, unable to bring the right words into my head let alone out of my mouth. "So, umm, did you, like, want a shower or something...?" He trailed off as his eyes met my infuriated glare.

"No, I would not like a shower. I want to go home, I want to erase everything that happened last night Edward! I gave you my virginity, I gave you my...everything, and you don't remember a single second of it! I have given you my heart time and time again, and every time, you throw it back in my face like it means nothing! Do you have no _feelings_?" I screamed at him as the tears began running down my face. I quickly pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt that could have been his or mine, I really couldn't care less.

"Edward? Edward, what's going on?" I heard Esme call up the stairs to her son. I wiped my eyes and yanked the door open, almost running into her and Carlisle on my way down the stairs. "Rose? What are you doing here?" I ignored her, dashing through the house that I knew so well. I ran to the front door and pulled it open, not even noticing when the cold winter air hit my face. I fled from the house that I had occupied frequently as a younger girl and didn't stop until I reached my house. It seemed like forever that I was running away from that house, from the person that I thought I loved.

I raced down the street, ignoring the startled looks of people walking by. When I reached my house I saw my dad standing outside, looking around frantically for something. Alice and Bella were standing behind him and my mum's car was gone. I saw tears running down Bella's face as Alice held her in her arms and my heart broke a little more, if that were even possible. A sob broke itself free of my chest as I ran forward into the little driveway in front of our house and straight for the arms of my ever-loving father.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ do that to me again Rosalie! I was worried sick about you; your mother has been out looking for you all morning; and your sisters have been up all night apparently." He pulled me into his arms and I cried a bit more, waiting for the sobs that wracked from my chest to subside. My dad held me the whole time, his hands stroking my hair and the hands of my sisters grabbing at my arms as they clung to me as well. We broke apart as we heard the sound of a car pulling up. My mum climbed anxiously out of the car and walked towards us, twisting her hands together as she did so. It was obvious that she had been crying, her eyes were puffy and red, and there were tell-tale tear tracks marking her flushed face. Then she saw me.

She froze where she was and I held my breath, waiting for the onslaught that would inevitably reach my ears soon. However, the reaction I received was quite the opposite.

"Baby," My mum breathed before running to me and throwing her arms around me. The tears started up again as her hands patted every surface that she could find, trying to make sure that I was real. I winced when she touched my hips. She stepped back, frowning at me. I blushed under her gaze and her mouth opened slowly. She narrowed her eyes and her hands twitched at her sides.

I paled as I saw two figures walk around the corner. Two figures that I did not particularly want to see. Edward and Esme came into full light and I noticed for the first time the dark circles adorning the pale skin under Edward's eyes, and the way his cheeks seemed slightly hollow, sunken in. Bile rose in my throat as I saw him standing there, shame and pain surfacing again at the expression on his face. He wore a look of pure contempt.

My mum reached out her hands surreptitiously and pulled the hem of the t-shirt up sharply, revealing dark purple, distinctly hand-shaped, bruises. She gasped at what she saw and swayed on the spot. My dad darted forward to catch her and she turned towards the small flower bed in our garden, throwing up yellow bile. I reached my hand out towards her and rubbed her back gently as she coughed a few times.

I grimaced as I realised that she was remembering the last time she saw bruises like that on my skin. Royce. I couldn't keep my eyes on my mother as she heaved into the roses that she spent so long pruning.

"Bella, go and fetch your mum a drink." Dad spoke sharply, looking at me questioningly. I looked at the ground, unable to stand the steady gaze that he kept on me. Silently I pulled up the corner of the t-shirt to let him see the bruises. I noticed that his hands clenched by his sides as I looked up at him cautiously from under my eyelashes.

"My God, Charlie, is she OK?" Esme's voice came floating through the silence that dominated our little, broken world. I looked at her and she furrowed her brow, but then returned her attention to my mum, who was now standing up and sipping slowly from the glass of water that Bella had brought outside.

"Yes, Esme, I'm fine, thank you for asking. Thank you Bella." My mum turned to look at me and I gulped loudly. Esme turned to look at me again and her gaze immediately fell to my hips where I was still holding up Edward's t-shirt.

"My God! Edward, what did you do to that girl?" Esme shrieked, turning to her son incredulously. My dad whipped around to face me and my mum swayed again. Bella and Alice looked down at the ground as I gulped again.

"Rose? What does she mean? Does she know where you were last night? Were you with Edward?" My mother looked at me sadly and I grimaced at the pained expression on her face.

I nodded slowly, my head falling so that I was looking down at my feet in shame.

"Rose, were you with Edward ALL night?" My father's face was like thunder as my mother's voice grated through her teeth and down my spine. I nodded again and my dad pushed a breath of air through his lips in anger, at me or Edward, I wasn't sure; until his gaze rested furiously on Edward that is. "Did you _sleep_ at Edward's house Rosalie?" The stress she placed on the word _sleep _made it very clear that she knew exactly what we had been doing and that she didn't approve of it in the least. I looked at Edward accusingly, tears sliding down my face angrily. He looked away, at least having the decency to look ashamed at himself.

I shook my head very slowly.

I mentally braced myself for the onslaught that would come from three people all at once, but I was interrupted by a very loud, very off key singer turning the corner drunkenly. My head snapped up as I somehow recognised the voice.

"Emmett." I breathed softly and ran over to him just as he stumbled and fell to the ground.

He shrunk from my touch and I was startled momentarily before trying to assist him again, but this time he forcibly pushed me away, and the next words out of his mouth have haunted me and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

"Get _away_ from me you_ slut_!" The derogatory term slid from his mouth in a slurred rendition of Emmett's beautifully deep voice.

"What?" The word had barely left my mouth when he began yelling at me causing me to feel about ten times smaller and about ten times more stupid.

"'_What? What?_' Afraid that your little _boyfriend_ might hear and not like you anymore? As if banging the guy isn't enough, the only head he can think with is the one in his pants, and you would know all about that head wouldn't you, _angel_?" He growled out the last word, and I felt fresh tears dripping down my face in shame.

"Oh, don't cry baby, _Edward_ will make you feel better!" He roared the last part at me and I was about to run away when he began speaking again, and what he said made me more mad than anything he had ever said to me before, anything _anyone_ had ever said to me before. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if you had been banging him all along, just like the whore that you are. Every phone conversation we had, I bet he was there, smug as ever, little prick, licking your neck, sucking your earlobes-"

"Listen here prick, you are the one who has been going on with this Maria chick behind my back. I thought you liked me Emmett? I thought that you wanted to be with me, and that is why I tried to fight my feelings for Edward so hard! Because I love _you_! Imagine what it felt like, little me who has been there for you from the very beginning, seeing you make out with some bitch right in front of me! You really are a man-whore aren't you? Sonovabitch! I was helping Edward into bed while he was _drunk_. _He_ made a move on me, not the other way around, and I was about to leave and then I saw grab this chicks but, right outside Edward's window, and I decided, 'To hell with it' and I turned around and went against everything I ever thought was right. I hope you're happy with yourself Emmett, you have completely ruined any chance you may have had with me!"

I turned and I ran, brushing off the comforting hands that tried to stop me and ran straight for my room, slamming the door and throwing myself on the bed, sobs wracking my body as I thought of the two best friends that I had lost in one day...

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) see you next week..**

**GeorgieMarie95 xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter and you've all had a good week (and a half). I'm so sorry that this chapter is a bit late, but the next one will deffo be out on time : )**

**Enjoy…**

"Emmett, I don't get it, why would you say those things about me?" I stalked around the island in my kitchen three weeks later and wandered towards the living room with the phone pressed against my ear, coffee cup in hand, bagel in the other.

"I'm sorry baby girl, I didn't know the whole story and I was drunk and upset, I really am sorry, I know that you aren't a slut." I waited for a little bit. "Or a whore." I nodded and made a sound of approval as I took the first bite of my bagel. "Hon, you don't have to sound that happy about me apologising, unless of course, you have company and I am interrupting. Maybe, I should just go." I swallowed quickly and groaned.

"Emmett! I was eating a bagel!" He laughed loudly and I couldn't help but join in, feeling the warmth build in my stomach at the camaraderie between Emmett and I. "Shut up!" I gasped out through my laughter.

"Ahh, baby girl, I love you." I froze, mouth poised to take a bite. The phone fell from my ear onto the sofa. "Rose? Rosie?" He waited for a bit, I could hear his heavy breathing coming from the sofa cushions, but I couldn't move; I was frozen in place. "I'm coming over." I heard the bleep of disconnection as he hung up the phone.

There was a loud knock on the door and I was startled from my reverie. I hurried to the door and yanked it open, not expecting Emmett on the other side. His arms engulfed me in a hug as I was pushed back from the door by his enormous frame.

"Thank God! I thought something bad had happened. Can you remember anything from the past five minutes?" I shook my head. A lie. The subdued doctor in Emmett took over and he pushed me back towards the sofa. Sitting, he grabbed my hand and steadily counted my pulse as I thought about what caused me to freeze.

The last time I had heard those words was about two months ago, and just before He said them, I had finished having sex for the very first time in my life. Edward. I sighed and Emmet's head snapped up to look at me. His hand flew to my forehead as he inaccurately tested my temperature. He sighed and looked down, seemingly gathering his thoughts before he slowly tilted his head to look at me through his eyelashes with a mischievous glint shining in his eye. I backed away slowly, before he pounced on me and swept me into his arms.

"There is nothing wrong with you!" He roared as he swung me back and forth around the room in his gorilla like arms. "You just decided to faint!" I looked at him in confusion before he whispered to me, "Right now." His face was very close to mine; we were both breathing heavily and his sweet breath washed over me in long, laboured pants. He looked deep into my eyes as he moved closer to me and tilted his head ever so slightly. I closed my eyes before feeling the air rush past me. I opened my eyes again to look at him questioningly before my expression was one of surprise as he flung me onto the bed. I looked at him with hooded eyelids as he crawled up me until we were face to face.

He leant forward...

... And kissed me.

~0~

I woke up naked and alone.

~0~

At 3 in the morning, six weeks later, I woke up with an odd feeling.

Nausea gripped me and I leapt out of bed, rushing towards to bathroom. I looked up in between retches and saw a pack of tampons on the corner of the cabinet above my sink. I felt the blood drain from my face and threw my head back over the toilet with a groan.

I leapt up from the floor when I was finished chucking my guts into the toilet and ran back into my bedroom to dress. I snatched Emmett's undershirt from the floor, my heart squeezing tightly as I thought about possible reasons for him not still being there. Slipping it on, I yanked my jeans up my legs and wrapped my cardigan tightly around my body.

I flew into the kitchen and straight to the calendar over the kettle.

I stared at the calendar, doing the sums over and over again. I was late. Very late. _So_ late, in fact, that I knew already that I was pregnant. I checked once more to make certain and then grabbed my keys from the counter and dashed out of the door.

I pulled my phone from my handbag and dialled the first number I could think of.

"Pick up dammit, pick-"

"Hello?" Emmett answered the phone groggily, as if he had been asleep and I instantly felt guilty.

"Oh, shit, sorry Emmett, I'll call...well, I'll call back later." I moved to take the phone from my ear and close it, but I heard him yell.

"Wait! I'm up! I'm u... shit Rose, what the hell do you need at three in the morning?" I felt the tears pricking at my eyes as I tried to quell the emotion that was thick in my voice.

"Umm, nothing Emmett, nothing, I'll talk to you later, bye." This time I ignored him when he called out to me and just closed the phone, throwing it back into my bag as I raced to the pharmacy. I didn't hear my phone trilling from the foot well as I drove madly through the streets of New York. I didn't hear it bleeping at me as I rounded the corner of the street that the pharmacy was on. I didn't hear it ringing as I slammed the door shut. Or at least, that's what I told myself.

I stepped reluctantly through the doors of the pharmacy and made my way over to the family planning section. I took my time finding the small piece of shelf that held pregnancy tests, ironically right next to the condoms. I groaned as I looked at the different types of test available. I ended up going with the simplest one they had. I plucked it off the shelf and turned it upside down so that I didn't have to stare at the smiley face on the front.

As I approached the counter, I gulped and stood up straight, trying to give off an air of confidence, probably failing miserably. The next five minutes were a blur as I paid for the test, watching the older woman at the tills slipping it into the pink plastic bag with a disapproving glare. I turned around and walked straight into somebody, my bag falling on the floor and the test sliding out into plain view.

I scrambled to grab the small packet and clutched it to my chest as I felt the pain begin to curl around my heart again. I looked up and saw the person staring at the floor where the test had just been. My eyes refocused and I felt my face flame up and fall at the same time.

The man turned to face me and whispered in his distinct accent.

"Rosie..."

Edward found me. He found me! I couldn't believe it; he actually came and found me.

"What?" _That's great Rose, _very_ eloquent_. "I mean, hi." He just stared at me blankly; well he stared at the bag in my hand blankly.

"You're pregnant?" Well, I don't blame him for being blunt really, it's big news. Who am I kidding, it's huge news, and he was probably thinking it was his anyway, so, who am I to judge?

"Um, yeah, well, I think so, I'm kind of hoping that I am just feeling really stressed which is why I'm like three months late, not that you need to know that, but yeah, I am hoping that because, I don't think the guy would like it that much, besides, he has a girlfriend, so she would be pretty mad, although it was before they got together and everything-" I was cut off. By his mouth.

Not that I didn't enjoy being kissed by him, but he wasn't who I wanted, not who I needed, and not who I disappointed and hurt. I pushed as hard as I possibly could against his shoulders, but he wouldn't let me go. I pushed his arms, his chest, his head, until he finally got the message and released me.

"What? I kiss you, and you back off? That's not what happened last time I kissed you." He looked smug and raised an eyebrow at me. I saw crimson swimming in front of me.

"How DARE you?" I shook with anger as I screeched at him. "How can you insinuate that I am 'easy'? I was...confused at the time, and you were drunk..." My voice trailed off as I saw the guilty expression on his face. "You weren't drunk at all were you?" He shook his head. "Right, so I bet you think it's funny that you forgot a condom?" His eyes went wide.

"Why would I need a condom? You're on the pill right?" My jaw dropped, God he was thick back then.

"Why the _hell_ would I be on the pill, Edward? I was a virgin, remember?" His eyes went wider as he stared at me stupidly. "Obviously not. Right, ok, let's get a couple things sorted out: one, I was a virgin when we had sex. Two, you pretended to be drunk to get in my pants. Three, you got me pregnant because you were too stupid to ask whether or not I was on the pill." He nodded each time and then did a double take.

"The baby's mine?" I shook my head vehemently.

"No. The baby is _mine_. Why would you want it anyway?" He looked at me in disbelief, anger growing in his captivating green eyes, but his anger was nothing compared to the furious face hovering just behind his.

Emmett grabbed hold of his arms and pushed him out of the way before wrapping his oversized hands around my shoulders.

"_This _is why you called me in the middle of the night? Because _Edward_ is here? Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me? I've been driving all over the place thinking something was desperately wrong with you." I felt the tears begin to build up again as he shook my shoulders lightly. I half expected to hear rattling as the pieces of my shattered heart clinked together. I suddenly burst into tears again and Emmett wrapped his arms around me whilst glaring at Edward over my head, no doubt giving silent threats about where he would stick his balls if he had hurt me again.

"Emmett, I didn't do anything, she's the one who has got the problem. A rather big problem that I, apparently, don't want anything to do with!" Edward fell silent again and Emmett continued to rock me back and forth in his arms.

I tried to force a shaky sentence from my lips, but nothing would come out. Once I had calmed down enough to speak, I tried to clarify the situation for Emmett.

"Emmett, that wasn't the problem, I didn't even know he was here. I came here to buy something, and we bumped into each other and-and-and..." I burst into tears again, crumpling into Emmett's arms once more. I wordlessly handed him the bag, hoping that he would understand.

He did.

"Edward Anthony Cullen! You _poisoned_ my Rosalie with your demon sperm? How DARE you go _anywhere_ near her!" Emmett released me and hurled me unceremoniously to the floor. My hands curled over my stomach before I hit the linoleum tiling. The woman for behind the counter rushed to help me up and fussed over me. I thanked her and pushed her away, gasping as I saw Emmett and Edward rolling around on the floor together.

"Stop! STOP! _STOP_!" I screamed. They separated from each other, breathing heavily, and stood up, glaring at each other relentlessly. I rushed over to Emmett and brushed my hands over his arms, making sure he was ok. He had a small cut on his lip and a graze along his jaw. By far the worst though was his knee. It was oozing blood that swelled over a rip in his jeans and ran down the leg.

I leaned up to whisper in Emmett's ear, applying slight pressure to his chest, but he hissed and pushed me away, so I grasped his shoulder instead. I placed my hand on his face and he leant into me, a hum of contentment seeping from his split lips. My head fit neatly on his shoulder, my breath just brushing over his jaw as I spoke.

"Emmett, I don't need this from you. What I need is support and help, can you give me that?" He nodded his head, still glaring at Edward, but he lowered his head slightly to look at me. Immediately, our eyes locked and his expression softened as his bright blue eyes bore into mine. I smiled and patted his shoulder delicately. I turned to Edward and my face hardened.

"And all I need from you is your absence. Think you can handle that?" He glared right back at me as I stood, shoulders back, hands on hips, chin raised.

"Yes, I mean, after all, it's none of my concern!" Edward growled at me and I gasped, my hands turning into fists at my sides while I prepared to launch at him. I felt Emmett's hand on my shoulder and instantly, an icy cool feeling spread through me, soothing the red hot anger that was burning in the pit of my stomach. I relaxed my tense muscles and stepped back into Emmett's side, effectively shielding myself from harm.

"Yeah, whatever, just please, go away." He looked at me defeated and turned slowly to walk out of the shop, almost as if he were hoping that I would call him back.

I turned to face Emmett and sighed.

"Why did you leave?" He looked down at his feet and then back up at me with a sad expression on his face.

"Listen, Rosie, I didn't want you to wake up and regret what we did, I thought that you might not have wanted me there or something, I don't know, I guess I wasn't thinking straight." He sighed and placed his head in his hands. His shoulders started shaking violently as his body was wracked with sobs.

I wrapped my arms around him as we sank to the floor, my head resting atop his while he cried into my neck.

"Shh, it's ok, you're fine, everything is going to be ok, do you understand me? Everything will be fine." I whispered into his ear as the woman from behind the counter stood awkwardly, breathing in as if to speak before sighing and wringing her hands once more. "Alright, baby, alright." He shook still, leaning against me and pushing me down onto my knees. "We are going to be ok, don't you forget that ok, sweetheart? We are going to be just fine."

~0~

I walked around the kitchen quietly while constantly flicking my eyes towards my bedroom, anxious of waking Emmett. I cursed quietly as I knocked over a glass on my way around the island in my apartment. I froze as I heard a yelp and thundering feet as Emmett flew from my room, tripping on the rug on the way through the living room.

"Where's the fire?" I laughed as Emmett stood up disgruntled from behind my settee. "No, seriously, are you all right? You looked like you were in a bit of a hurry there." He grunted and shrugged, trudging into the kitchen and sitting himself down in one of my kitchen chairs. "Um, are you all right? Do you remember last night?" He nodded looking down at his hands and then preoccupying himself with the mug of coffee that I placed in them.

"Yeah." He sighed, his head drooping as he groaned before forcing his neck to support the weight of his head. "I don't understand though. You're pregnant?" I nodded. "By my brother?" I nodded again looking down. He sighed again and I heard him stand up and walk around to my side of the breakfast bar. His hand came to rest underneath my chin. "Then we'll do exactly the same as we would if it were mine then, won't we?" I nodded dumbly, a fool-sized smile spreading across my face as Emmett wrapped me in his arms and squeezed me tightly to his chest, kissing my hair.

"Yoohoo! Anyone ho-oh! Sorry, I didn't realise I would be interrupting, I'll go shall I?" Carmen stood awkwardly in the doorway and Emmett and I broke apart anxiously. I blushed furiously and shuffled my feet.

"Carmen, are you going to drag her out here or wha-ah! Ok, come on Carr, let's go, we are obviously interrupting something important. Hey wait, you're Emmett, Edward's brother, God, he's such a prick, did you hear what he did to Rose?" I sighed and stepped forward taking Tanya's hand and pulling her and Carmen into the kitchen.

"Let's stop talking about Edward, ok? I don't really want to talk about him right now. I have something to tell you both which is way more important." They looked at me expectantly and I looked at Emmett, wondering if I should actually tell them or not. He nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to comfort me and give me support. "I'm pregnant." They both looked between me and Emmett and then at each other before squealing in harmony and unison. They jumped up and hugged one of us each before swapping places. I swear that they practised these things in the mirror together.

"OMG! Congrats both of you!" Tanya practically yelled. Emmett groaned and turned around, bashing his head on a cabinet repeatedly. "What? What did I do?" I shook my head and rubbed Emmett's back gently.

I mouthed to the two of them, 'It's not his.' They both looked confused and then frowned at me, well, glared is probably a better description but it didn't really register. 'It's Edward's.' They both practically growled at me. I shook my head and turned to Emmett, rubbing his back and whispering soothingly into his ear.

"This is what it's going to be like isn't it? People thinking it's mine and me knowing it's not and not being able to stop them saying it and causing me pain." He said it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him, but his words confirmed all of my fears about his feelings.

"Listen, Em, really, I _want_ it to be yours, I don't want his kid, I want yours, ok? This baby will be yours sweetie, I am sure it will love you as a father, even though Edward is it's real father, but as long as you're there, it will have the love and attention it deserves, ok?" He looked up at me and smiled cheekily. He grabbed me around the waist and spun me around as I squealed.

"We're gonna have a BABY!" He yelled excitedly and I laughed with him. He set me gently on the floor and squeezed me tightly to his chest as I sighed.

"We're having a baby." I whispered softly into his shirt, my voice muffled by the fabric.

"YOU'RE HAVING A BABY!" Came the squeals of delight from my friends as they jumped forward to hug us again. I looked despairingly up at Emmett and he laughed gaily, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I smiled and leant against him whilst rubbing my still flat stomach gently.

_A proper family._

~0~

I sat quietly in Emmett's living room running a hand incessantly over my inflated stomach after the longest day at work. The twins were active, rolling around, kicking me and each other.

"Sweetheart, I forgot, did you say scrambled eggs or omelette?" Emmett called to me from the kitchen, quickly whipping up my dinner as I had arrived home only minutes previously to sit down in my chair and refuse to move.

"Well that depends chicken; what have I got?" I smiled at my stomach and when I heard Emmett mumble from the kitchen I laughed. "Speak up dear, pregnancy impedes hearing you know!" He chuckled and I waited patiently for his answer.

"Scrambled omelette." I laughed hard, shaking furiously in my chair. I doubled over gasping as pain suddenly ripped through my stomach. "Emm...mmm...eett!" I gasped out, gripping the armrest tightly to keep from screaming and alarming him too greatly.

"It wasn't that funny, love, you can stop laughing now!" I could see spots forming before my eyes and I knew that I needed to make him understand that I needed to go to hospital before I blacked out. I looked down at my lap and felt any blood that may have been in my head drain.

Blood. I was covered in blood.

I remember hearing a piercing scream erupt before I fell to the floor, blacking out before I hit Emmett's arms.

~0~

I woke up in a white room.

I heard crying and looked down to see a small baby boy in my arms. He was crying and had a mop of dark blonde hair on his head, although, underneath the harsh lights of the room, I could very clearly see the streaks of gentle red laced into the tangled mess.

I rocked my son gently from side to side to soothe him and was rewarded with a look into his dark green eyes. I felt the tears brewing as I looked down at my angel child lovingly.

"So young, not even seven months in the womb. Darling boy." I closed my eyes and held him tightly to my chest as the tears fell silently onto his forehead.

I opened my eyes and looked at my baby as he smiled showing pink gums and a little tongue poking out slightly. I put my nose down to the top of his head and breathed in deeply, smelling new baby and sweetness. I breathed out hard against his head as I willed myself not to wail and he giggled softly; my undoing.

A sob broke free from my mouth and I crushed my baby to me, mourning for my dead son. The tears came fast and furiously hot against my cheeks. I looked down at him once more and saw Edward reflected in his eyes. I spun around to find him standing behind me. He reached out to take my child from me.

"No, Edward, not my baby, please not my baby." I held tightly to my son and showered his face with kisses as the tears raced down my face and into my lap.

"Our baby, Rose, and I'll look after him, I promise. I will take him as far as I can." I placed my hand over my baby's head and smoothed his hair gently.

"Please, at least let me name him." I pleaded with Edward and he nodded infinitesimally. "EJ, for his _real_ dad and his uncle." Edward beamed until he saw the hatred in my eyes. EJ smiled and gurgled at me happily as I leant down and kissed him once more on the head, breathing in his gorgeous smell before letting Edward take him out of my arms.

"See you later Rosie." He smiled gently before walking away from me, with my child. The tears began to fall thick and fast once more as I missed the baby I had only just held in my arms.

"Rose, baby, I am so sorry." Emmett's voice filled my head and the tears worsened. "I just need you to know, before you blame yourself, that if there was anything else anyone could have done, they would have done it. We couldn't save our little boy darling, I am so sorry, there really wasn't anything else that could have been done for him. But we have our angel girl, she's so precious and tiny, but boy does she have the most gorgeous eyes! They are just like yours sweetheart, and I can't wait for you to meet her."

I closed my eyes slowly, and when I opened them, I was lying down in a hospital bed with Emmett by my side, tears running down his face as he leant over me. I lifted my hand and stroked his hair softly before brushing the tears from underneath his eyes.

"We lost him, but it's OK. We have Ab... sorry, we can name her what you want darling." Emmett smiled at me through his tears and I smiled straight back at him, welling up at the desolate expression on his beautiful face.

"Honey, I don't care, she will still be my...our daughter. You can name her whatever you want; you're her daddy." His smile turned into a confused frown before breaking out into the largest beam I had ever seen.

"Thank you sweetheart, I love you. _My _baby. Abigail Rose Cullen." He pushed himself out of his chair and pressed his lips to my forehead, then my nose before pulling me up from the bed and kissing me soundly on the lips...

~0~

I had expected to go back to sleep and dream of my little boy, but instead I was confronted with a distraught younger Edward, crying over _"Little baby, little baby"_ and then grown up Edward grinning and counting down from 10 hours.

I woke up shortly after eight o'clock with a ripping pain across my stomach. Emmett shot up from the chair on the right side of the bed at my groan. He grinned sadly and pressed the call button above my head. A large, friendly nurse in deep pink scrubs came bustling into the room dragging a tray with an assortment of large needles; I cringed violently. She laughed heartily and I heard a small cry come from the left hand side of the bed.

"Ooh, someone little is hungry!" Her loud voice bounced around the room happily and I smiled, glancing briefly down at my daughter before swivelling painfully to face her completely when I saw her beautiful face. She was the spitting image of EJ and there was no doubt in my mind that she would grow to be as beautiful as he would have been handsome.

"Oh." The sound left me in a breath as I took in the angel lying in the cot beside my bed. Her tiny face was scrunched up in a bright red mess of tears and, well, baby, but I had never seen anything so gorgeous. She wriggled around in her cot, impossibly loud, angry wails coming from her wide open mouth with a small pink tongue pressed tightly against the bottom of her mouth. "Baby." I cooed softly at my child and reached into the cot with itching fingers and slid my child from her bed and into my arms. She leaned into my breast, rubbing her face deep into the soft skin, her cries quieting as she recognised me. I rocked her slightly watching while the redness faded from her cheeks and the tears left her eyes. Her gorgeous baby blue eyes locked with my grey ones and her small mouth opened again. I panicked for one moment imagining her face crumpling and turning red with anger again, but a gurgle erupted from her mouth, light spreading through her eyes.

I welled up, a smile spreading across my face and I turned to Emmett, seeing the same light shining in his eyes. He looked down at our baby girl and his face fell slightly when he noticed the slight red in her hair, but when she turned and waved her minute hand towards him, I saw the tears spring into his eyes and threaten to run over onto his face.

Emmett helped me slip the thin, papery hospital gown from my shoulder to expose my breast. I briefly noticed his eyes darken, but when he saw the beautiful face of our daughter lean into me, he smiled and his face was once again filled with a look of innocence and adoration. Her hand nestled between my breasts, she began to lightly suck, her grip becoming stronger and stronger until her mouth was like a vacuum around me. I winced slightly when her new-born nails scraped the inside of my breast, but soon relaxed into the odd, but wonderful sensation of her feeding.

Emmett and I were silent: there was no need to speak as we gazed at Abby sucking softly at my chest. The nurse had administered some very light painkillers which she assured me would do the job without harming the baby and had presently left to leave us alone.

I noticed Abby's strength dwindling as her grip loosened and her hand fell slack on my breast. I snapped my eyes down to look at her as she released me completely and her small eyelids closed gently and slowly.

"She's falling asleep." Emmett's voice was full of wonder and awe as he looked longingly at our child. I nodded before leaning over and slipping my hands from underneath her as she settled into the cot at the side of my bed. I adjusted my gown and looked back up at Emmett.

"Baby, we need to call the family." My whispered instruction didn't stir him and the only acknowledgement I had was a distracted nod of his head as he drowned in the sight of Abby asleep in the cot. "We'll do it later then." Again, all I received was a small nod which allowed light to fall on his face and illuminate the tears streaming down his face...

~0~

I looked down at my angel and felt the warmth rise inside my chest. I could see Edward in her, but that wasn't what I was looking for now. Now, I saw Emmett. His smile in her naturally upturned mouth, and the red that glinted from their heads in the sunlight, and the way her eyelids crinkled, just so, at the corners of her eyes when they were scrunched tightly shut.

I felt her tiny little hands grasp a few locks of my hair before tugging sweetly, not painfully, to attract my attention and I gazed into her adorable heart shaped face and smiled again as I watched her features crumple with a wail that threatened to escape. I held her closer, knowing instinctively what to do, and rocked her gently in my arms until the small ridges adorning her nose and forehead disappeared.

"You're a natural Rosie." I smiled at Emmett and he smiled back, despite the slightly sad shadow in his eyes. "And she is definitely yours." At this I frowned.

"And yours sweetheart, she's yours too, always will be. Edward won't be getting much custody as long as I can help it." He smiled slightly but the over-riding emotion in his eyes was still sadness. It was true though. Her hair was dark blonde, what there was of it anyway, and her eyes, although a sparkling new-born blue, held tiny specks of grey. I was aware of Emmett looking at me intently as I stared at my amazing child in wonderment and turned to face him.

"What?" I asked, the corners of my mouth were raised in a smile as I gazed back into Emmett's shocking blue eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted again, although I still detected some sadness in his eyes. My sweetheart was hurting and I didn't know why.

Until he walked through the door that is.

"Where is she? Did I miss it? Is everyone OK?" Edward's eyes fell on me, but he had no look of longing or desire on his face, no, he only wanted my baby. His eyes became almost hungry as he started to move towards my angel faced girl and I shielded her from him desperately. Emmett stepped in front of me and held a hand out to stop him in his tracks.

"Hey, Edward, dude, take a small step backwards and think about this. Seriously think through what you are doing here. Fu-Hell man, are you high or something?" I wanted to smile at his thoughtfulness but I gripped Abby closer to my chest as the rising tension woke her slowly and she began to fuss.

"Emmett, I think you might want to take a step back and think about what you are doing in her life, maybe? That's_ my_ baby, _Emmett,_" He spat out the name and tried to find a way around Emmett to get to me.

"Edward, please." I felt tears welling up as I held my tiny child closer. She began to fuss and cried out a little at the raised voices in the room. I said the only thing that I thought would quiet them both. "You're scaring her." Emmett immediately whipped around and rushed over to my side, smiling at Abby and pulling funny faces that made her watch with open mouth, curiosity lacing her features.

Edward did not respond in the way I had hoped.

"Oh! Oh! I'm scaring her? Well, maybe if she were allowed to see her _real_ father, she wouldn't be scared by the lump of _shit_ leaning over her and pulling terrifying faces!" His face became puce coloured and he threw his arms up in indignation.

Hearing his voice, Abby began to wail in earnest, turning her head away from the noise into my breast, her little arms reaching for Emmett's fingers.

"Get out Edward; you're not wanted here. By _anyone_." I glared at him, eyes narrowed, face sharp. His face immediately fell, betraying no emotion but defeat. "Well then, maybe you should have taken an interest in being her father when you still had the chance." His face became livid and he stormed from the room.

The tears I had been holding back suddenly burst free as the defensive walls I had built up around myself and my child broke and fell to the ground. Emmett perched on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around us. With Abby dozing against my chest and Emmett curled around my shoulders, we both cried in pain at the situation...

~0~

We went home later that day as the doctors declared Abby and I to be in perfect health. The whole family fawned over our little sweetheart, but after losing EJ, there was no way on this earth that I was letting Abby out of my own or Emmett's arms for more than five minutes. The family understood, but that didn't make Esme and Bella and my own mother any easier to cope with. Alice and Jasper were in Spain doing rehab after the fifth time they were caught with drugs, but we sent them both pictures.

I was happy that my family were so thrilled with the new arrival, but after 12 years of dedication to him, I couldn't help but notice the glaring absence. Edward had never arrived; not that I expected him to, but I still hoped that our argument would mean nothing over our child. In reality, I had nothing against Abby knowing her father, but the way he had stormed into the hospital room, demanding attention had set Emmett off and when Abby became upset, it upset me to so I had to do the only thing I could to protect my family and I told him to leave.

At around five that evening, Emmett noticed my discomfort and offered me pain killers, but I had taken some the hour before and while it was my stomach bothering me, it wasn't the incision itself, but worry that was causing me pain.

Edward had been known to make some rash decisions when riled up and I didn't want him getting hurt; he was still my best friend. Emmett huffed around when he realised what the issue was but as I held Abby gently in my arms as she slept and I began to drift off to sleep, I heard the door bell ring out. Emmett opened the door quietly as I listened, half asleep.

"She's just drifting off, but you can see her if you like." There was a low murmur in reply to Emmett's lulling voice but I heard the door close and the pair walked into to living room. I roused myself long enough to feel Abby pulled gently from my arms as I resisted a little but Emmett soothed me and stroked my forehead promptly sending me back into my dosing state.

"How...um, how do I hold her?" I startled awake at the sound of Edward's voice in the room. My eyes flew open and he took a step away from Emmett, arms raised in surrender. His eyes widened as I leapt from my chair and launched myself into his arms.

"I'm sorry." He stroked my back and hair tentatively as I felt tears pour from my eyes onto his shirt. I released him gently and stepped back looking at Emmett sheepishly but he simply looked relieved that he didn't have to hate his brother anymore.

I sat in the seat next to Edward and held my arms out for Abby. Emmett laid her in my arms and I turned to face Edward.

"Listen, I want you in her life, but I also want Emmett to be her father. I need to know if you can do both. You can be her uncle and you will still have your rights to her, but I would like it if Emmett could adopt her as his own." I looked towards Emmett and saw him smiling in surprise. "We aren't going to make any drastic decisions, like leaving the country without telling you and getting your input, but neither are we going to put our lives on hold if you don't like something we are doing. If something were to happen to either of us – please God, no – then we would want you to take custody of course."

Edward looked at the child in my arms, a sad look on his face, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Edward, you're not losing anything here, we want you to be in her life, but she knows Emmett's voice and has grown fond of him. We're not going anywhere soon either, so cheer up." He smiled at me and Emmett and I held my arms out towards him, gesturing that he should lay his out so that I could lay Abby in them.

I helped him adjust her head so that it sat neatly in the crook of his elbow. She didn't fit as neatly as she did in Emmett's arms but they both looked comfortable so I sat back against Emmett and smiled. Edward had tears in his eyes as he looked down upon her and he whispered words so low that I almost didn't catch them, but when I did, my eyes began to glisten as Emmett held me against him.

"_Thank you_"...

**Thanks so much for reading everyone : )**

**We've got one more chapter left before we say goodbye to Emmett and Rose.**

**I'll probably post it in about a week, and I'm sorry again that I was so late with this one…it's first week back at school and I'm a bit hectic : S**

**Lots of love,**

**GeorgieMarie95 xxxxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Last chapter guys : ( I hope you've all enjoyed it…**

**Try not to cry at the end…I did : S**

Emmett and I were getting married. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, with Emmett standing at the altar waiting for me; my baby girl toddling ahead of me, throwing flowers; Bella and Alice walking slowly up the aisle with Edward and Jasper by their sides; and my dad, whispering words of encouragement as I walk up the aisle towards my future. Instead, I am here, in a hospital waiting room in my wedding dress, mascara and foundation in streaks down my face.

"I just don't understand! Why would you do this?" Bella sat wailing in the corner, head in her hands, occasionally pushing Edward away as he tried to explain. I waited, sobbing quietly for any news of Emmett.

"I know why! It's because he can't stand to see her happy with anyone else!" Alice was pacing furiously around the waiting room with Jasper hovering anxiously behind her.

"But that doesn't make any sense! He loves me-he-he!" Bella cried out, her body descending into another fit of sobs and tears.

"That doesn't mean that -"

"Does it matter?" I stood up, yelling in anger. "This was supposed to be my wedding day, and yet, here we all are, in a hospital waiting room while my almost-husband is in a _coma_ because of _you_!" I whirled around and pointed my finger wildly at Edward, fresh tears pouring down my face. "Why can't you just leave me alone and let me be happy?" I turned away from him in resignation.

I felt him come up behind me and touch my shoulder.

"Rosi -" I cut him off walking away and going to sit down and wait. Maybe half an hour later, a doctor walked in and called for Mrs Cullen. Esme and I both jumped up and sped over to him, eager for news.

"Now, please calm down, your husband is fine." I grasped his arm tightly as Esme fell back towards Carlisle. "He has extensive injuries to the torso, but thankfully, _whoever_ it was that hit him, stayed clear of the head, so there's nothing to worry about there." The doctor looked pointedly at Edward's bruised and bloodied knuckles. "Unfortunately, there was a great deal of damage to his right kidney, so much so that we had to remove it, but the left one is working fine and he should be able to operate normally without his right one, but he will have to be monitored closely for kidney failure in the future as he has no...back up if you like." I saw red. I thanked the doctor and he nodded, saying that we wouldn't be able to see Emmett yet but he would send someone down when they were ready.

I rushed at Edward and hit him over and over again, pummelling his shoulders and sides. "_How dare you! How dare you hurt him like this!_" Jasper and Carlisle pulled me off him, wrapping arms around my shoulders as they drew me over to my sisters and Esme. We all cried together while Edward sat in the corner looking sorry for himself.

The moment the nurse walked in to tell us that we could see him, I swept four-year-old Abby up from Esme's arms and followed her down the hall to Emmett's room.

I nearly broke down when I saw him.

He was asleep, face perfect and peaceful as always, but his knuckles were raw and he had bruises covering his forearms from defending himself. When he moved in his sleep, the blankets moved down and I caught a glimpse of a long, thick slice running down the right side of his back, surrounded by deep purple bruises. He winced when the IV needle pulled at the skin in the crease of his elbow, causing him some slight pain, although the morphine drip he was on prevented the agony that he would certainly be in without it.

I pushed through the door and sat at the chair on his right hand side. I took hold of his hand and stroked the back of it soothingly, half wanting to wake him, but wanting to let him rest and recover as well. Abby stirred against my shoulder, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Dadda?" She whispered looking at him longingly. She started to cry, reaching out for Emmett's hand. "DDAAADDDAAAA!" She wailed loudly when I wouldn't let go of her and I felt more tears brewing in my eyes as she clawed at my arms, crying for me to let her go. "Mamma! Lemme go! See Dadda!" I felt the tears skim over my eyelids and down my face as my hold on Abby loosened. She stopped shouting in surprise and looked at me.

Her chin immediately started to wobble again but this time she grasped at my top, thinking that I was upset with her. "Don cry Mamma, wuv you Mamma." She cuddled into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her again, rocking us backwards and forwards.

We fell asleep together on the chair and I woke hours later to a finger brushing over my hand. I opened my eyes sleepily and turned my stiff neck to see Emmett smiling sadly at me. Tears began to fall out of my eyes in thick streams as a sob worked its way up my throat and out of my mouth in a wail.

"Your dress is so beautiful, baby." He voice came out in a hoarse whisper that made me cry more forcefully, waking Abby up. Abby began to cry as well when she saw Emmett awake and Emmett's eyes turned red rimmed and glassy as he looked at both of us.

"Do..Do you know about...?" He nodded sadly at me before he glared at the door. My head spun around to see what he was looking at saw a desolate looking Edward standing just outside.

"Can I come in?" Emmett barked out a laugh and I turned my head to focus on my daughter who was trying to escape my hold and run to her Uncle.

"Get out, you sick sonova-" Emmett grabbed my arm in warning, sending a glance down to Abby. "Just leave, I'm surprised they haven't arrested you yet." I glared at Edward, still holding a struggling Abby to me.

"Rose, you have to understand, please, I just need this opportunity to explain - "

"Explain? What can you possibly have to explain? You attacked my fiancée on our wedding day! You were jealous, couldn't stand to see me happy and so you decided to take it out on the man I love! Get out, now, GET OUT!" I screamed at him, gesticulating with the arm that wasn't clamped around Abby's small body, her nails scratching at my skin.

Emmett reached a hand out and stroked my hair, making soothing noises. "Shh, quiet it's alright baby, deep breaths, let go of Abby a second, you don't want to hurt her." I relaxed my hold as a loud sob burst out of me. Abby leapt off my lap like a shot but hovered around me, unsure whether she could see her uncle or not. "Come here Abs, stay with Daddy." Emmett held his other hand out to Abby and she immediately latched onto him, grateful for the instruction.

"Edward, please leave." My voice was barely understandable through my sobbing, but he turned sadly and left the room anyway.

"Rosie, you need to listen to me, OK? You can't let Bella keep seeing him, he's off the handle. He's gone completely insane." Emmett's eyes were wide and worried. "I was just waiting in the groom's room for you to be ready and he charged in there, crazy as anything, eyes blazing, practically foaming at the mouth screaming at me that I was stealing you and Abby from him, that you were his and I never should have touched you." He stroked my arm as I wept for the loss of my best friend.

"Rosie, there are track marks all over his arms. He's been using sweetie." Fresh sobs burst from me and Abby started to cry too, reaching her little arms out for me. At that moment all I could do was stare at her, picking out all the features of her that reminded me of Edward, the large, vivid green eyes that he and Emmett shared, the pale skin and sharp features. I lifted her from the floor and into my arms, hugging her to me tightly as our tears ran together. We were both pulled closer to Emmett and the three of us cried together…

~0~

When we had calmed down, I kissed Emmett's head and left with Abby to tell Esme and Carlisle that they could see him.

I wandered down the hospital corridors, still in my wedding dress, seeing other families together, husbands and wives visiting each other and I felt a hand tugging at my heart, clenching and squeezing until I could breathe. I fell to my knees, letting Abby go when I reached the ground. My head smashed against the floor as I grabbed at my chest, pain flooding me…

~0~

I woke up a few hours later hooked up to an IV and lying in a bed beside my fiancée.

"This has turned out to be a fantastic wedding day." Emmett's tired and sarcastic voice grumbled from my right. "I'm so sorry that your big day was ruined sweetheart." He reached his hand towards me but he couldn't extend his arm far enough.

"It's fine baby, I'm just glad I get to be here with you. I think we should send Alice and Jasper on our honeymoon, don't you? I mean, we can't go, and it's paid for, so someone might as well enjoy it." I shrugged and tried to shift my bed closer to Emmett's without success. Just then, Esme and Carlisle came into the room and immediately began fussing over me, asking if I was alright and if they could get me anything. "I'm fine, thank you. The only thing you could do for me is just move my bed over towards Emmett's?" Carlisle immediately rushed to comply and soon Emmett and I had our fingers intertwined as we spoke to his parents.

"Now, Rose, they ran some tests while you were unconscious and they suggested that you may have had a small heart attack, brought on by the stress of the past few months and culminating in the horrific incidents of today." Carlisle explained calmly and quickly what this would mean for me in the future. I would have to be more careful about my stress levels and more conscious about what I'm eating, but all in all, I was alright, and I wasn't in any danger.

"But, sweetie, they also found out something else. Umm, they said that, and now, please don't get upset sweetheart, but they said that you had a miscarriage while unconscious. They found you covered in blood while on the floor in the hallway." Esme leant over and covered my hand with hers. "I don't know if you knew you were pregnant or not, but they said you were about ten weeks, so you might not have known." I shook my head, in shock.

"No, I didn't know." I cleared my throat, tears in my eyes. "I had no idea. I suppose that's better though." Emmett squeezed my hand tightly, running his thumb soothingly in circles on my palm.

"It's alright baby, we can try again. We'll start as soon as we both get better and sorted out, I promise." He leant over and stroked my face, brushing my hair out of the way. I nodded sedately, not really understanding what was going on.

"Abby. Where's Abby?" I looked towards Esme, trying to change the subject. "She must be so worried, poor angel." Esme went to go and find her, saying that she'd left her with Bella.

Carlisle left to give us some privacy and we sat there and looked into each other's eyes, trying to work out what the other was thinking. We sat there and gazed at each other for nearly 15 minutes until Esme came back and changed everything…

~0~

"Ok, Rosie, you need to calm down, he's only had her for two hours, he can_not_ have gone that far. He's not going to hurt her, he just wants to have her, that's all." Emmett was trying desperately to calm me down; I was almost hyperventilating as I gripped Emmett's hand tightly and tried to think where that bastard had taken my baby.

"I'm so sorry Rose. If I had known he would take her, I would have gone with them, never let him near her. I didn't know he was using again, I swear, I haven't really seen him for months. I should have known. I'm so sorry." Bella was clutching a tissue in her hand as tears ran down her face and she apologised profusely, over and over again. Alice, Esme and my mum were seething in the corner as dad and Carlisle tried to stop Jasper from going after him.

"Bella, it's fine, Rose is just worried, that's all. We all know that Edward isn't going to hurt Abby." Emmett rubbed my back with his free hand while whispering soothingly into my ear that everything would be alright.

"Tell me-" I gulped for breath. "Tell me again what he said." I could feel my heart clenching tightly in my chest, and nausea rippled through me at the thought that my baby was being held by a heroin addict.

"He said that he was going to take her for ice cream. I honestly didn't think he'd take her away from you guys, really I didn't, I just, he's her father, you know? And every time we talk he keeps going on about how you guys don't trust him with her, and I miss him, and, I just can't - "

"Bella! This is not what Rose needs right now! For God's sake, will someone get her out of here?" Emmett glared angrily towards my dad and his, begging them to move Bella out of the room and away from me.

I took gasping breaths through my sobs and Emmett continued to help me through it. After another hour, although it felt like days, Bella came back in the room and said that she had spoken to Edward.

"He said that he just wanted to play with her for a little bit and that he would bring her back. They're on their way now." Bella smiled hesitantly at me and Emmett, but we ignored her as Emmett lay back in bed, tired after trying to calm me down, and I jumped up, trying to find my clothes and get dressed so I could go and meet my baby.

Everyone went to get coffee and I got dressed quickly before giving Emmett and quick kiss goodbye and promising to come back up as soon as I had our daughter with me.

I sped down to the reception area and waited anxiously by the doors for my daughter. When Edward stepped through the door with her on his shoulders I raced forward, grabbing for her and pulling her towards me. I cried into her hair as I held her tightly to me before I set her down on the ground and bent down to her level.

"Baby, Abby, listen, you have to tell Mummy when you're going to go somewhere. If someone, anyone, even Uncle Edward says he's going to take you somewhere, you have to make sure you see me first, and if they try to take you away without seeing me, you make a fuss, OK? I need to know where you are all the time sweetie." I pulled her close to me again once I got a frightened nod from her.

"I'm sowwy Mummy, I did'n mean to." She curled her hands into my top, worried that I was angry with her and I pulled her away, showering kisses all over her face. She giggled and tried to push me away. "Mummy, stop it! That tickles!" I grabbed her up in my arms and started kissing her all over earning a delighted laugh from my daughter.

Once I stopped tormenting her, I started walking back towards Emmett's room, ignoring Edward completely, but I wouldn't put her down for even a second.

"I'm not angry with you sweetheart, but from now on, you must tell Mummy or Daddy where you're going, alright?" She nodded again and quickly stuck her thumb in her mouth, settling herself into my shoulder…

~0~

The next two years passed quickly and soon it was Abby's sixth birthday. Emmett and I did eventually get married and it was absolutely perfect. We had a small, simple ceremony with just us, our parents and most of our siblings. Edward wasn't invited but Bella told us that he turned up anyway and sat waiting outside the courthouse for two hours for us to come out. We never did find out why he beat Emmett up, although I've always felt that Emmett knew something but he wasn't letting on. At all.

We had a short honeymoon weekend in Disneyland Paris with Abby and then Esme and Carlisle spent the rest of the week with her there while Emmett and I went to a little B&B. We didn't leave our room for anything but food. We all flew home together after our week away and Emmett and I decided on the way home that we would wait to have more children as Abby was a little bit of a handful on the ten hour flight and besides, we just wanted to spend some time just being us for a while. A married couple.

As much as we could with Abby anyway.

Abby's sixth birthday party was a pink affair with balloons and confetti and sparkles and cake. She was thrilled with how everything turned out and eagerly showed off her new pink trainers that lit up when she walked. Edward hadn't really had much of an impact on our lives up until that day. He had made contact a few times and I knew for a fact that he and Bella were seeing each other, even though I had made it incredibly clear to Bella that I didn't want her anywhere near him and that she wasn't to bring him to the house. Bella was 23 and she didn't really want to listen to a whole lot of what I had to say. She wouldn't accept that I knew Edward and that I had experienced firsthand the pain that he could cause. She kept trying to insist that he had changed and that he was a completely different person around her and I had to admit that since they started secretly going out, he had stopped calling as much and trying to have an influence on Abby's life.

I knew that Bella wasn't my daughter, but she had lived with me for so many years that it felt that way, and I was only trying to protect her. Maybe I should have taken a step back and she wouldn't have felt the need to rebel and run off with Edward that night.

But Edward showed up at Abby's birthday party. She vaguely remembered him, but she also remembered that he was the one who had taken her away from us, however briefly, that day in the hospital, so she was understandably wary of him. She immediately told Emmett that he was there and he quickly went over to speak to him. The two brothers embraced and I breathed a sigh of relief that everything was going to be alright.

The rest of the day was uneventful and Abby had a wonderful time. I found out that morning that I was pregnant and Emmett and I told Abby together that she was going to have a little brother or sister to play with. When we announced it to the rest of the party, I noticed a look between Bella and Edward, but I brushed it off thinking that they were just being a young couple in love. I should have paid more attention.

That was four weeks ago and now I am slightly rounded at three months along. Today is a sad day and I do feel a great big hole of regret and pain sucking away at my life. I suppose I will always feel this grief and that's ok, because it will remind me what I have lost and what I should have protected.

As I stand here, watching them lower Edward's casket into the ground, I can't help but remember all the opportunities I had to fix this relationship and how I could have tried harder.

It all began with a decision to move homes. A decision not made by me, so is it my fault? No, it's not anyone's fault, we all just have to learn to live with the consequences of our own, or even other peoples actions.

On the first day that I met him, I made a choice to be Edward's friend. Over time, I thought that my feelings developed into something more, but as I stand here with the rose in my hand, watching the dark, wooden crate drop steadily into the ground, I realise that I was wrong. Edward and I were never meant to be together; we were simply meant to help each other find their other half.

I watch as Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme throw their roses onto the casket. I hold tightly onto the two in my right hand, and grasp Emmett's hand in the other. I need strength for this. I need strength to watch my best friend be buried deep beneath the earth. I allow myself a single tear as the workmen begin shovelling earth back onto the box that holds my first everything.

From the day that Edward decided to ignore me, I felt regret for the things I never said, for the things I would never say, and I feel those things now. I wait and wait and wait for it to be over so that we can move on, but the workmen seem to be taking an age to complete their job.

I never needed _Edward_ to love me, or want me or need me, I just wanted to feel loved, wanted and needed, I realise now that what I did was stupid. But, without having 'fallen in love' with Edward, I never would have discovered my true feelings for my Emmett.

Every action has a reaction and the reaction is under our control. We can change our own feelings based on how we feel for a person or the situation, but your first reaction is always the strongest. I should have listened to my head and stomach before I made love to Edward. I should have heard the small voices telling me to stop. I should have listened to my first instinct. It was telling me to think of Emmett.

However, if I had listened, I wouldn't be standing here next to my angel girl as she says goodbye to her favourite Uncle. She wouldn't have to see this if I had listened to my head that night. Maybe Edward would still be here. Maybe I wouldn't be married to Emmett, or expecting our first child together. I don't know, and I never will, but I do know, that since the day I found out I was pregnant, I wouldn't want to be without my baby girl in my life.

There are many things that can be said about our situation today. Many have been looked into by the press: _"Two bodies found by side of road, one male and one female. Motorcycle found in ditch. Suspected foul play." _or maybe you prefer, _"Two bodies found. Motorcycle accident, one man, DOA, and one woman, family waiting for results of surgery." _ or, _"Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen were found lying on the roadside just outside their hometown of Forks. The police are looking into what happened, but Chief and Renee Swan have been informed, as have Dr and Mrs Cullen."_

This is what happened:

"_Bella! You come back here! If you _dare _get on that motorcycle, so help me God, I will tell our father!" I yelled out of the door to my sister, willing her to come back. My baby had been kicking more than usual, and I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I sighed and Emmett rubbed my back. I leaned into him and relaxed almost immediately._

"_Rosie, baby, you need to relax, she'll be fine." Emmett will never forgive himself for those words. "Seriously, calm down and come and watch a film with me! Please baby? We have hardly seen each other recently." I nodded reluctantly and let him drag me over to the couch._

_I sat, and sat, and sat, until I could sit no more. I stood up, slowly, and waddled over to the fridge. I was perusing the items when Emmett walked into the room looking grave._

"_Baby, you might want to sit down." I carried on bustling around inside the fridge/freezer, until I found the ice cream I was looking for. Sitting down at the kitchen table, I pulled a spoon out from the draw next to me and proceeded to take a huge spoonful of the delicious stuff before staring at Emmett expectantly._

"_Sweetheart, please don't freak out on me, but, we need to go to the hospital." I looked at him questioningly, urging him to continue so that I could eat my ice cream. "Bella and Edward are there." I froze. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear. _Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. Bella. _That was all that was running through my head, except not so much in my head. I found out from Emmett later that I had been shaking and crying out her name. I was so out of it, that I didn't notice Emmett lifting me and putting me in the car to drive me to the hospital. I only snapped out of it when I saw the bright lights of the ER shining at me through my glazed eyes._

_Immediately, I moved into action, running towards the front desk with Emmett following._

"_Hey, you, sorry to be rude, but I need to see my sister, where is she?" The nurse looked at me blankly, until she saw Emmett behind me. She seemed ready to push me away, but when Emmett put his arm around my waist, she looked down and her eyes bugged at the sight of my pregnant belly. "Yeah, and if you don't hurry up and tell me where Isabella Swan is, I will make sure to sue you for inducing early labour in a sixth month pregnant woman!" I knew that my words were making no sense, but I had to see Bella._

"_Rose! Where is she? What are you doing standing about, get talking girl!" I froze on the spot. Renee was here, just perfect, mind you, she was Bella's mother, so, who was I to stop her seeing her daughter? Yeah, she asked me that question too._

_Renee had changed, drastically since she lost all three of us. She turned bitter and unforgiving and downright demanding of every single one of us. Bitchy to me, especially since Bella moved in with me. Rude to Bella because of her choices. She just ignored Alice, had done ever since she went to rehab with Jasper. Again._

"_Back off bitch, she is mine. I looked after her when you kicked her out for seeing Edward! She is mine, and she doesn't need you!" Emmett wrapped a reassuring arm around my shoulders, and I welcomed the extra confidence. It was then that I noticed the two figures running up the hall towards us._

"_Rosie, where's our baby sister?" I collected Alice as she ran into my arms, and I hugged her to me. "God, when I heard that...we were at the airport...coming back from...Spain...we saw the news...where is she?" Alice panted loudly into my ear as she caught her breath. They had returned from holiday a few weeks ago, but missed their connecting flight from London to Newark and the next one they could get was today. I had missed my little sister so much. _

"_Look, Ally, I don't know, but can you stay with Jazz a minute please? I need to sort this out...SHIT! Emmett, we didn't pick up Abby from Christine's house! What the hell are we going to do? Damn! What about Edward? Where's Edward? Oh my God, oh my God." Emmett rubbed my back and helped me calm down._

I had continued to cry and panic for hours and hours, until right around six o'clock when I was beginning to calm down; slightly.

"_OK, Rosie, take deep breaths, we don't want you going into labour now, do we?" I shook my head at my husband, silently reprimanding myself for being so selfish. I hadn't seemed to notice how much I had been hurting Emmett by acting like I did, or how much he needed me. I followed his advice this time. I took deep breaths and concentrated on counting the white tiles in the hospital waiting room._

"_OK, OK, I'm fine now, I think." I leant further into his side and let the tears slowly drip down my face. We sat there for about five minutes until a doctor appear and I leapt from my seat, Emmett following closely behind me, supporting my aching back as I approached him anxiously._

"_Mrs Cullen, your sister is in a delicate situation, we ask that you do not worry her or upset her in any way, we don't want to send her into arrest, but she is conscious and asking for you and your husband, she also asked if your other sister was here." I grasped the doctor's arm tightly while Emmett motioned to Alice. She came with Jasper and wrapped her arm around me, her eyes filled with tears._

"_Wait, Emmett, you should find your parents, go and see Ed..Edw..." I couldn't say his name, no matter how hard I tried, my throat just kept closing up. I looked at Emmett and saw the humourless smile on his face._

"_Edward's dead Rosi...Rose, he will be there for a while yet, we, we need to go and see Bella, come on." I saw the raw emotion on his face and it made me stronger, made me able to calm down and take control, give him some reprise._

"_Come on, let's go see our sister." I smiled at him through my tears and grasped his hand tightly. He squeezed back and swallowed thickly. We walked hand in hand, the four of us towards my sister's room, a unit, one thing, standing together, strong._

_We stepped into the room and saw her lying there, idly playing with the edge of her covers. There were tubes and wires flowing from every available piece of skin. The rest of it blossomed with bruising and she had bandages and casts everywhere, making her movements heavy and clumsy as she raised her head to look at us. Alice and I immediately ran over to her and stopped when we remembered what the doctor had said._

"_How are you feeling sweetie?" She nodded slightly at me and opened her mouth to speak, but became panicked when she couldn't. "Shhh sweetheart, don't panic, it'll come back soon, we will hear your gorgeous voice again angel." I managed to keep my voice calm and look happy when inside I was screaming at myself for making promises that I didn't know were true. She looked pacified and I looked over at Emmett and Jasper. They were talking quietly together presumably catching up and I smiled genuinely at them._

"_Rose, she's trying to say something." I snapped my head back to my sisters and looked closely at Bella's lips. I noticed in passing that she had her hands securely on her perfectly flat stomach, I didn't quite register what this was telling me, until she told me herself._

'_I'm pregnant.' I saw the words formed on her lips, but I didn't want to believe them, she was going to have a baby that would be my daughter's sibling. My daughter would be her child's cousin. My thoughts were cut off by the next word that was formed by her dry lips._

'_Bye' Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and I leapt forward, the tears springing into my central vision._

"_No, no, no, Emmett!" I screamed at him and he came running. "Get the doctor, get the doctor, now!" He ran out of the door and Jasper came forward to whisper into Alice's ear, she was having a panic attack, curled on the floor, her hand still clasping Bella's as mine was. The doctor came running in the room and we were pushed out of the way as I felt her hand slip from mine, her final word hanging over my head._

'_Bye'_

"Bye sweetie." I whisper to my sister as I kneel down beside her casket, gently placing the red roses on top of the polished wood coffin that hold my youngest sister and her unborn child, my niece or nephew. Emmett wraps an arm around my shoulder in comfort as I fight my way back into a standing position, cradling my stomach gently. It could have been me. If I had stayed with Edward, it could be my unborn child and my body in that casket. I shrink away from the thought and into Emmett's shoulder as we back away from the six foot hole in the ground that would forever more hold my sister.

The last time I laid eyes on my sister, she had said goodbye, and now I am able to reciprocate, but she can't hear me, and she can't see me and she can't hug me or kiss me, and it is my fault, because I was too strict, or not strict enough, or...

"Baby, stop fretting, it wasn't your fault, she was her own person and she did what she thought was best, she was a live in the moment kind of person and you know it." He kisses my ear gently and straightens up to listen to the preacher talk about our siblings. I stand there and watch men cover my sister up for all eternity, just as they had with the love of her life. I remember the words that my sister used once to describe her love for Edward, words from Wuthering Heights:

_My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and__he__remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it._

I realise now that the same is true of me and my Emmett, I shall be with him for ever more, and when he is gone, the world _shall_ indeed be a mighty stranger...

**And that's all she wrote :/**

**I hope you don't think the ending was too abrupt… I know that it's a fairly short story, but that was what I wanted it to be, short snippets of Rose and Emmett's life together : )**

**I hope you've all enjoyed my little story and will read more of my work : )**

**I'm a busy person, so I don't tend to write as often as I should, but I will try and bash something out for you soon : )**

**Lots of love,**

**GeorgieMarie95 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx**


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